Just the Beginning
by SweetMandyB
Summary: Sequel to All is Fair in Love and War. Almost two years later. Can Bella and Edward get the happy ending they deserve? Who will stand in the way? Rate M for language and lemons.
1. Since All is Fair in Love and War

**DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. **

**A/N: Alright, this is way short, because it's just a bridge between last story and this story. The outline for this is going slower than I thought, and I wanted to give you something before the weekend was over. If you have any suggestions for the story, please tell me, because as of now, I only have one thing in mind that I want to happen. Also, I'm looking for someone to help me write a few lemons for this story, so if you're interested, please let me know. Thanks. I may have another update for you tonight. We'll see what happens. **

**Bella's POV**

_October 2010…a year and a half later_

As I reflect on the last two years, so much has happened. Two short years ago, I hated my boyfriend's guts. Now, I'm madly in love with the man, and he's madly in love with me. Our relationship is not a fairy tale; it is far from perfect.

A few months after returning from Greece, Emmett and Rosalie graduated from college; Emmett from Dartmouth and Rosalie from Yale. They'd both moved to New York City. Emmett worked at a pharmaceutical company, and Rosalie worked as an administrator at a hospital in the city. They'd decided to have a long engagement, or rather, Alice had insisted on it, so they could "plan a proper wedding". Originally, they'd planned on a wedding in Seattle, but after their announcement to move to New York City, Alice changed it to the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. It turns out the boys really hate wedding planning. Rosalie, Alice and I had to keep bribing them with booze to get them to help out. Individually, they were just excited as us girls about the big day, but they were the worst together. If you want my honest opinion, Emmett is more excited about the wedding than Rosalie is. But he'd never admit that to Edward or Jasper.

Alice and I moved into our house September of 2009 and it was amazing. I couldn't believe we had ever survived in the dorms. Classes were good and it kept both Edward and I busy. He was a senior and applying to medical schools. He'd be accepted to John's Hopkins almost immediately, and Carlisle and Esme were bursting with pride. However, in the end, he'd decided to attend Harvard Medical School, insisting that I was not a factor whatsoever in his decision to turn down John's Hopkins', his dream school. But I wasn't an idiot, I knew better than that. We'd gotten in a big fight over it, and didn't speak for two weeks, but he'd finally admitted that while I was a big factor, he promised he sincerely wanted to attend Harvard.

Charlie was doing wonderfully; he was in full remission. Jake and I never fully recovered from our fight. He'd apologized, but Kristin took up most of his time now, and since I'd completely moved out of both Charlie and Renee's, and my primary address was in New Hampshire, I didn't see much of him. He got married about a month ago, and I went to the wedding with Edward. After that, we met for lunch when he returned from his honeymoon, but he made it clear that so long as I was with Edward, things would stay strained between the two of us. I was happy for him, though. He seemed head over heels with Kristin, and married life seemed to be treating him well.

Now, it's October first and Emmett and Rosalie are getting married in week. Alice and I are juniors at Dartmouth, and Edward's at Harvard. Rosalie and Emmett are in New York, and we sometimes all meet in the city (Manhattan) for a weekend. Carlisle and Esme even joined us a few times. This weekend, Alice had signed the wedding party up for dance lessons. Except here's the thing. When she first mentioned this as a possibility to Emmett, he threw a fit, and you know Alice. She doesn't take no for an answer. So the boys, aside from Carlisle, don't know we are taking dancing lessons. They think we're meeting for drinks. Which isn't a lie; we just didn't tell them that night only _began_ with drinks.

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**NEXT CHAPTER: Dance Lessons in the City**


	2. Ambush

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. **

**Bella's POV**

_October 1__st__, 2010_

Alice drove us to New York City instead of flying, as Carlisle and Esme were using the plan to get to New York, and Alice wanted to arrive at Emmett and Rose's before anyone else. Rose, Alice and I still had to plot how to get the boys from the bar to the dance studio, and then we would find some way to lock them in there. Alice had seriously considered hiring a bouncer from the club to get them to the studio and ensure that they stayed there, but Esme said that it wouldn't be necessary.

"I think our biggest flight risk tonight will be Emmett". Alice said, maneuvering her yellow Porsche through the crowded streets of downtown Manhattan to the Upper East side where Emmett and Rose's apartment was. I rolled my eyes, and crossed my arms over my chest.

"You make this sound very official. I'm actually surprised you didn't hire secret service to aid us in this tonight".

"Bella, you obviously don't know how against dancing Emmett is." Alice rolled her eyes at _me_ this time. "How much of a fight do you think Edward will put up?" She asked.

I shrugged, I had absolutely no idea.

"I'm not sure, Alice…he's so unpredictable. Just when I think I've got him pegged, he surprises me," I told her, and an awed expression came over my face as I thought about him. He'd been so busy lately; I hadn't seen him in nearly a month. I couldn't wait to see him, even if it did mean I had to get him drunk, and trick him into coming with me.

Then, and idea popped into my head.

"Wait, Alice…we're going to the bar first, correct?" This was too easy, she must have thought about this.

"I know where you're going Bella, and believe me, we need them to be coherent for this or it will have all been for nothing." She told me, cutting off a cab driver.

"True…" well, there went my idea.

"If I know my brother, he will probably fight as hard as Emmett and Jasper, at first. And then, once we dangle you as bait, he'll give up." Alice laughed. I couldn't argue with that, because I was the same way with Edward. We had a packed week coming up, and I was exhausted just thinking about it. Tonight (Saturday) we had drinks and dancing, tomorrow we had to do final fittings of our wedding attire, Monday was going to be a very big girls shopping day, Tuesday Bridal shower, Wednesday last minute wedding details, Thursday Bachelor/Bachelorette parties, Friday spa, and Saturday was the wedding. The boys' schedule wasn't as busy, yet, at least. Alice hadn't said much to Jasper about it, but I sensed that tonight was one of the many ambushes she had planned. We pulled into the parking garage near Emmett and Rosalie's apartment building. They lived in a nice area of Manhattan. The more time I spent in New York, the more I loved it. Edward and I had met here alone for a few dates when we first got back, but once we accidentally ran into Emmett, and he got angry we hadn't told him we were there, and we haven't had an "alone date" to the city since. Alice parked as close as she could to the building, and we carried what we could. Alice had basically packed her entire wardrobe for the week.

We trudged the block over to Rosalie and Emmett's and Rosalie buzzed us in. We made it to the elevator, and to Rosalie and Emmett's door, where we dropped our bags in a heap, exhausted. Emmett answered the door, and laughed at our disheveled appearance.

"You two need to join a gym". Emmett said, his mouth full, holding a sandwich. Alice slapped his arm.

"Wanna help us out, superman?" She asked, stepping around him into the apartment, leaving her bags behind.

"No." He said, following her in. I rolled my eyes, and kicked in the baggage. Rose came over to help me. Once everything was inside and by the door, she hugged me.

"Bella! It's so good to see you!" She said, excitedly, ushering me into the living room.

"Thanks for leaving me with all the bags you two". I said, sarcastically to Emmett and Alice, who were sitting on the couch.

"I have to call Edward really quick". I told them, dialing the phone.

"Tell him to hurry his ass up. I'm way out numbered here, and Jasper isn't getting here for quite some time. " Emmett complained, but then blushed slightly when Rose glared at him. I smiled and winked at him, letting him know I'd find out when Edward was getting here. I'm not even going to pretend I was curious myself. I dialed his number, and stood in the kitchen, hoping for a little privacy.

"Hello?" he must have been driving, because he sounded like he had no idea who was calling.

"Hey you. It's me?"

"Bella?" he asked loudly. Yep, he was on his Bluetooth. This was going to be a frustrating conversation, as always.

"Bella? Who the hell is Bella?" I shrieked mockingly.

"Haha, very funny." He laughed.

"Where the hell are you? I want to see you!" I asked, excitedly. He chuckled again.

"I have no fucking clue. Somewhere in New York, though, so I shouldn't be too much longer." He reassured me.

"So like an hour or so?" I said, slightly louder, so that Emmett could hear me in the next room. Edward caught on quickly. He knew his brother too well.

"Tell Emmett I will be there just as soon as I possibly can." He laughed.

"Will do. Drive safe, see you soon." I told him sadly, wanting to see him now.

"Alright, I love you".

"I love you too." I hit the "end call" button on my phone, and stared at it for a moment, before I came up with a brilliant idea. I knew exactly how to make sure the boys attended dance lessons. Happily.

As promised, Edward arrived about an hour and a half later and I practically tackled him to the ground with the force of my embrace.

"I missed you too" He laughed, still on the floor, pulling me closer to his body.

God, he got more gorgeous every day. He caught me staring.

"Can I help you?" he chuckled.

"You're pretty". I said, poking his chest. He laughed, sitting up, still keeping me close to his chest. He helped me stand, and kissed my forehead.

"I've missed you". He whispered, pulling me back to his chest. I kissed the material over his heart.

"I've missed you, too". I whispered back. Just then, Emmett ruined our moment. He pulled Edward away by the back of his shirt.

"Edward. I need mantime. Now". Emmett growled, and hauled him to the den. I motioned for Alice and Rosalie to follow me into the living room.

"Guys, I think I've got an idea of how to make _sure_ the boys attend those dance lessons". I told him, whispering, so that Emmett and Edward couldn't hear my plan.

"Bella. We went over this in the car…" Alice began, exasperated, but I shook my head.

"No, not that. What is the one thing that men, especially the three of our men, would do anything for?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. Rosalie caught on immediately, a wicked smile coming across her face as she nodded in agreement. It took Alice a moment, but she had the same expression as Rose and I.

"Why Isabella Swan…I didn't know you had it in you…" Alice said in awe. I blushed.

"I know, right?" Rosalie agreed. "I am a little ashamed she thought of it before I did!"

Carlisle and Esme arrived a little while later, and we all walked down to the bar. Carlisle and Esme said they didn't need dance lessons, and Alice hadn't argued, so she must have seen them dance before. But, they had practically begged to stay and watch.

"I want to see how you girls manage to keep them there once they discover what's going on". Carlisle laughed, and Alice, Rosalie and I all simultaneously blushed. Carlisle seemed oblivious, but Esme, being the mother she is, noticed, and snorted. We snapped our heads at her, pleading with our eyes that she not tell Carlisle. He didn't bat an eye, and went to greet his sons in the den. She took a step closer to us, an amused smile on her face; she shook her head at us.

"Girls…using sex to persuade my sons to take dance lessons." She paused. "Great idea". She winked, and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief, high fiving quietly.

Jasper was the last to arrive. He had to drive separately, but we finally made our trek to the bar, only a block or two away, and then another block away from the dance studio. Edward picked up on my nervousness on the walk over.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" he asked softly, so no one else could hear. His hand was on the small of my back as we walked to the bar.

"Nothing". I said, trying to hide my nervousness. He didn't buy it, as usual.

"Can I give you a little bit of friendly advice?" he asked, raising a perfect eyebrow.

"Don't ever play poker, because you will lose".

"It's nothing, I'm just glad you're here, I-I just wish that we could have more alone time." I said honestly, wrapping an arm around his waist tightly, pulling myself closely to his side. He seemed to buy that. Score. I think that was a first in our relationship.

We were only at the bar for an hour and a half when we needed an excuse to start making our way to the dance studio. The boys had done several shots, and had each downed at least a few beers. We needed to stop them, and quickly. Alice decided to be the one to break the news.

"Boys? We have a surprise for you. We need you to follow us, and not ask questions." She informed them, and they didn't dare argue with her. We walked quickly, and I had my arm linked through Edward's, who kept shooting me questioning glares.

"What?" I snapped, finally getting sick of it. He chuckled.

"It's just odd. Usually I'm the one surprising you…" I winked at him, but didn't say anything more. Luckily for us, there was no sign indicating that it was a dance studio, and I briefly wondered if that had been a reason why Alice picked it. We made our way through the narrow white hallway, and into a large ballroom with wood floors, the boys looked around, but didn't seem to quite get it, which, was lucky for us. It would be easier to keep them from bolting in this room. Only one small door and no windows. Emmett finally understood when a woman came in, wearing a dancing outfit. His eyes grew so wide I was afraid his eyeballs were going to roll right out of his head.

"OH NO YOU DID NOT!" He yelled, his face flushing with anger.

"Emmett…"Rose warned, shooting him a glare.

"Rosalie. I said no." He said, growing even angrier. I was a little afraid of this Emmett. Esme stepped forward, ready to intervene, and Carlisle stepped closer to the door. Jasper and Edward both caught on at the same time.

"You tricked us!" Jasper yelled at Alice. Edward just looked at me with a weird expression on his face. I couldn't really place it. It…it didn't look like fear…but it wasn't angry either.

"Rosalie," Emmett warned, but I didn't hear what he said. Edward turned to me then. Okay, _now_ he looked mad.

"Bella, I'm not doing this with my brothers." He said, firmly, almost daring me to argue. I had him exactly where I wanted him. I took a brief glance around the room, but both Esme and Carlisle were focused on controlling Emmett. I stepped closer to him, and smiled as seductively as I could managed, and he raised an eyebrow.

"You're sure?" I purred, tracing a finger from the opening of his collared shirt down his chest. I angled my body slightly, blocking Carlisle's view, and slipped my hand over the front of his pants. I felt him twitch beneath my hand, and when I looked up at him, his eyes were closed.

"I'll make it worth it…" I whispered into his ear. He shuddered then. I looked over his shoulder, and saw that Rosalie was whispering something in Emmett's ear. And whatever she said made Emmett blush. And I knew we had them.

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**Review please? Next chapter is going to be longer, so you may have to wait a day or two. :)**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Wedding Week Preperations. **


	3. Wedding Preparations Part One

**Author's Note: First of all-thank you thank you thank you to all you readers. The response to this story is nothing short of overwhelming. **

**Also, just wanted to warn you--there's a really hot lemon in this chapter, thanks to Nicholh2008, who wrote the lemon and also beta'd for me. You're amazing. Words cannot express my gratitude. **

**Finally, I do not own any part of Twilight. **

**Bella's POV**

_Saturday October 1__st__, 2010_

It turns out the bar was a very bad idea, because Emmett was completely trashed. Not enough to not remember the dance lessons tomorrow, but still. He laughed the entire time, which made the rest of us laugh. Well, everyone except Rose. She looked pretty angry.

Edward on the other hand? I don't think I would have even needed to bribe him with sex. He was a better dancer than anyone else in the room, including the dance instructor. As we were twirling around the dance floor, I leaned back slightly to look into his eyes.

"You never told me you danced". He smiled smugly.

"That's because you never asked." He said, kissing my nose. Normally, I was a very clumsy dancer, but in his arms it was a different story.

"Where did you learn to dance like this?" I asked. His grip tightened around my waist as he pulled me closer. I felt his hot breath on my ear and shivered.

"Well, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you". He said seriously. I laughed.

"I'll get it out of you somehow". I told him smugly. He threw his head back and laughed, and then kissed me on the forehead.

"I don't doubt that, love".

Forty five minutes later, we were all walking back to get some much needed sleep. Edward and I were going to the Plaza, and everyone else was going back to Rosalie and Emmett's. He'd gotten a room at the Plaza instead of staying at Rosalie and Emmett's, and I was relieved that he'd thought of that ahead of time. We said goodbye to everyone at the door, and walked through the lobby of the hotel and over to the elevators. We were alone in the elevator and I was thankful for that.

Edward pulled me against his chest and kissed my neck. I bent my head back to give him easier access. The elevator "dinged", indicating we'd reached our floor, I pulled away, and walked out of the elevator first, with Edward following behind me. I jumped when I felt him pinch my butt. I whirled around with a shocked expression on my face. He winked at me.

"Time to pay up." My jaw dropped, and I was frozen where I stood. Edward walked around me, sliding the card into the door to unlock it. He held the door open for me. I finally was able to move after he gave me a slightly confused look. It wasn't that I wasn't willing to keep my end of the bargain, I was just surprised.

Edward pulled me into the room and into his waiting arms. He started the kissed me again, only this time it was needier. I felt his tongue glide across my bottom lip and I gladly opened my mouth to him. He pushed me into the wall as our tongues battled for dominance. I hiked my leg around his hip and pushed myself into him. He moaned at the friction it caused.

He grabbed both my legs and pulled me up and I locked my heels together. Edward pushed his erection into me and I gasped. He was very hard and ready for me.

"Bedroom, now." I said. He quickly complied and carried me to the adjacent bedroom. He lowered me onto the bed, never breaking our kiss. I pulled my lips to his and unwrapped my legs from his hips. I crawled slowly up the bed and he followed like a hunter ready to attack his prey.

When my back hit the headboard he smiled, he quickly grabbed my leg and pulled me with force. I was now laying with my head on the pillow staring him directly in the eye.

"I like it when you're feisty." I said with a giggle.

"Really? Then you'll love this." He responded. He crashed his lips down on mine and roughly thrust against me. I broke from the kiss as a moan escaped my lips. He took this time to pull my shirt up and off my body. Then took his own shirt off, throwing them both across the room. His lips went to my bra clad breasts and he licked my nipples through the material. He snaked his hand around my back and unclasped my bra with ease.

Once I was exposed to him he started sucking and nipping at each of my breasts paying an equal amount of attention to both. I was moaning and groaning at his ministrations. My hands were roughly tugging and pulling at his hair.

His warm wet mouth left my nipples and started leaving a wet trail down my body. When he got to my hips he took one long lick from hip to hip. I hissed at the sensation, as my body broke out in goose bumps.

His hands worked the button and zipper of my jeans. He slowly pulled my jeans down my thighs leaving me in nothing but my panties. He kissed his way up my legs and to my inner thighs finally reaching my aching core.

He rubbed his nose up my panty coved center. He apparently couldn't take anymore teasing because he ripped my panties off, causing a loud gasp to escape my lips.

"I'll buy you a new pair." He reassured me.

His mouth found my bundle of nerve and he sucked my clit hard. "God Edward!" I moaned. His tongue lapped up my juices and his fingers were at my entrance. He thrust 2 fingers into me and I gasped, while he moaned.

"God, Bella. You're so wet for me. I can't wait any longer." he pulled his fingers out of me and I immediately missed the friction. His pants and boxers were off before I could even blink.

Edward positioned himself at my entrance and thrust into me hard. "Oh god Edward!"

"Shit Bella, you're so tight. I'm not going to last long." He found a hard and fast rhythm and was thrusting into me like this would be our last time together.

"Fuck, cum with me love." He whispered in my ear. He nibbled on my ear and that was my undoing.

"Edward! Oh god, I'm cuming." I screamed. I felt my walls clamp around his cock and I felt him twitch inside me.

"God, Bella." He yelled as we rode our orgasm out together.

Edward rolled over laying next to me, we were both panting, trying to catch our breath. He pulled me flush against his naked body and snuggled his head into my neck.

"I _really_ like feisty Edward." I said with another giggle.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now go to sleep love, we have a busy week ahead of us." With Edwards warm arms around my body I was easily able to drift of to a dreamless sleep.

_Sunday October 2__nd__, 2010_

I woke up the next morning exhausted and sore. Today, we had final dress fittings, and the boys were golfing. I looked around the room and giggled quietly at the disarray the room was in from last night's activities. Clothing was everywhere. I slipped out of the comfortable, white, king size bed, trying my best not to wake Edward. It was 6:30am, and I knew Alice wanted the girls to have breakfast before final dress fittings at Vera Wang. I quickly showered and dressed, and grabbed my purse. I took one last look at Edward and sighed.

He was on his stomach, his face turned away from the window. He was snoring lightly, his mouth parted just slightly. I smiled and admired him for a moment, and then opened and shut his hotel room door quietly, and made my way back over to Rosalie's quickly.

Sure enough, Alice was impatiently waiting for me with Rose and Esme on the front porch of their building. Alice was tapping her foot.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm here!" I told her, running over to them. We hailed a cab, and piled in, rushing towards the Vera Wang studio for Rose's final fitting (A/N: picture of her dress is on my profile). Alice was ecstatic for this, and couldn't stop bouncing in her seat.

"So girls, how did you plan work out last night?" Esme laughed from the back seat. Rosalie started to answer, but Esme stopped her.

"I _know_ how your plan worked". She teased.

Alice and I laughed, and Rosalie scowled.

"I'm going to have to keep that tactic in mind for next time". I told them. Rosalie and Alice both agreed.

We stopped for breakfast at an upscale restaurant near Vera Wang's. We ate quickly, thanks to Alice, and arrived at the shop a little early. We sipped on mimosa's and looked around at the other dresses while we waited for Rose's appointment. I couldn't help but look at the dresses I would try on if I were engaged to Edward. I fingered the white lace, and jumped when a heard a voice behind me.

"You'd look stunning in that, Bella". Esme said. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"Sorry, I didn't see you standing there". I laughed nervously. She put an arm around my shoulders.

"I'm excited for that day, too". She said, winking at me and walking away.

Rosalie looked amazing in her dress. Esme, Alice and I just stood to the side, speechless, staring at her through the mirror. There were no words to describe how gorgeous she looked.

"What do you think?" Rosalie asked us softly through the mirror.

"You look so gorgeous Rose. Emmett is going to go crazy!" I told her.

"Absolutely beautiful, dear" Esme choked, going over to her, and kissing her cheek.

"Eh. I wouldn't kick you out of bed". Alice shrugged. Her eyes widened, and her hand clamped over her mouth. Esme and Rosalie's jaws dropped, but I just laughed. Alice handed me her glass of mimosa.

"That's enough alcohol for me". She laughed, slightly embarrassed. "But seriously Rose." She added with laughter.

**Edward's POV**

I woke up to my cell phone ringing. I groaned, and rolled over, but my eyes shot open when I felt Bella gone. She must have left pretty early early to meet the girls. I checked the clock. It was 7:30am. I had to be at the golf course in an hour. I looked around for my cell phone, finding it across the room in my pants pocket. I laughed, seeing clothes from both Bella and I everywhere. I'd have to clean up before Emmett got here. I checked caller ID. _Emmett._

"Hey Emmett." I greeted.

"We need to talk," he said seriously. It worried me a little. _Please tell me he isn't getting cold feet this close to the wedding. _

"About what?" I asked, concerned.

"How we're getting revenge on the girls for that stunt they pulled last night".

"I'm in." I said, smiling.

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Review please?

**NEXT CHAPTER: The boys plot their revenge, and the girls shop. **


	4. Wedding Preparations Part Two

**A/N and Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Also, thanks again to Nicholh2008 for writing the lemon in this chapter, and for helping me develop the revenge of the boys--you are awesome, thank you for all your help! If I get enough reviews, I will post the next chapter later tonight, which will be the rehersal (the boys can't behave) and the wedding. All dresses (incl. Rose's wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses) are on my profile. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's a longer chapter. :)**

**Bella's POV**

_Tuesday October 4__th__, 2010_

Shopping was exhausting. We shopped from 8 in the morning until 8:30 at night. I came back to the hotel room and fell asleep right away, not even waking up when Edward came home from whatever the boys were doing the night before. When I woke up this morning he was already gone, but there was a note on the paper, my name written on the front in his elegant script.

_Good morning Sleeping Beauty-_

_Call me when you wake up so that I know you're still alive?_

_Love,_

_Edward_

I laughed, and grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand, and looked at the alarm clock. It was already ten! I had to be at the restaurant for the Bridal shower at 11. I decided to call Edward, as he was probably worried. He picked up on the first ring.

"Well look at that, you are still alive". He laughed.

"Ha. Ha. Where are you?" I asked, needing to see him.

"We have final alterations on the tux's and then who knows what. Emmett won't say."

"Oh okay. I have Rose's bridal shower this afternoon, but do you want to have dinner? Just you and I tonight?" I asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"Sounds perfect. I'll meet you back at the hotel room?" he asked, shushing Emmett, who was hackling in the background.

"Sure thing. See you later. I love you".

"I love you too."

The second I hung up the phone, I hurried to the bathroom. I took a shower in record time, and pulled on my dress for the shower. I did my hair and makeup, and slipped on my heels, and made it out the door and into the cab just on time. The cab sped off towards Tavern on the Green, and I sighed, relieved, when I saw that I had made it there before Alice. She was in the cab behind me.

"Hey! You okay?" She greeted me, looking concerned.

"Yeah, fine. Why?" I asked as we walked into the restaurant.

"Edward was worried we'd slipped something in your drink last night. He said he came home at nine, and you were out cold and when he woke up this morning to Emmett banging on the door you didn't even stir. He said he had to check your pulse a few times to make sure you were still breathing". She laughed.

We walked into the party room where Esme and Rose were talking quietly. Rose grabbed Alice and I both by the wrists and pulled us into the corner.

"Rose? What's wrong?" I asked.

"The boys. They're planning something". She said, angry.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked, annoyed. She had deemed herself the "official wedding planner", and got really mad whenever anyone scheduled so much as a bathroom break without her approval.

"I mean that they are getting revenge on us." Rosalie told her, exasperated.

"For what? The best sex they've had in a long time?" Alice argued, slightly louder than she needed to be.

"That or dancing, I can't figure it out." Rosalie said, confused. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, if they're using sex, I'm hardly going to argue. Edward and I rarely see each other". I told them, bluntly, and blushed. That was more than I'd meant to tell them. They both laughed.

Rose's bridal shower was bigger than I'd thought it would be, especially being in New York. A lot of her friends from Yale came, and a lot of Esme's friends came as well. She unwrapped lots of gifts; both practical and dirty. I was slightly surprised at how open Esme was about the sex thing. I wished my mother was like that, but I was pretty sure of what her reaction would be if she had any clue about Edward and my sex life and let's just say that it's nothing like Esme's. I finally got back to the hotel around 5, just in time to get ready and change for dinner. The hotel room was dark, and I saw Edward standing by the bed, shirtless, still wearing his dark jeans from earlier.

"Come here, Isabella." Well, this can't be good…he sounds mad and he's using my full name. Which he knows I don't like. I prefer Bella. I slowly made my way over the bed.

His eyes were dark, and he almost looked frightening.

"Strip". He commanded. I froze. He arched a perfect eyebrow at me.

"You said you liked the feisty Edward. Now strip". He snapped. I did as I was told quickly. He reached out, and pinched both my nipples, pulling me roughly towards him.

"Now get on your knees and show me how sorry you are about lying to me about those dance lessons the other night." He commanded.

I dropped to my knees before him and ran my hands up his jeans. As I ran my hands up his legs I could see him get harder the higher I went. I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans making sure I never touched his growing arousal. I slowly pulled his jeans and boxers down his legs and he shrugged them off.

I raked my nails up his legs causing groans to escape his lips. My fingers danced around his hips never quiet touching him.

"Jesus Bella, touch me already." He groaned. I traced my finger tip on the head of his cock and softly rubbed the precum around it, he hissed at my light touch. A small smile spread across my lips as his hip involuntarily thrust against my hand.

After deciding he'd had enough torture I grasped him hard and took as much of him into my mouth as possible.

"Holy shit." He moaned. I sucked and nibbled as I bobbed my head up and down his shaft, causing groans and moans from his lips. His hands tangled themselves in my hair and he started to thrust into my mouth. He knew to be careful, so I trusted him not to hurt me.

I knew he was close to his release when his grip on my hair tightened and hips started thrusting faster. I hummed and the vibrations caused more friction and pleasure for him.

"Fuck. Bella baby I can't hold it any longer." I grasped him harder and moved my hand faster at his base and I felt him loose control. He yelled out my name and I felt his warm seed spill into my mouth. I quickly swallowed every drop, and licked him clean.

I got off my knees and he roughly pulled me against his body and kissed me hard. He pushed me backwards and I landed on the bed. He pulled me to the edge and got on his knees for me.

"I think I owe you, after that amazing performance." He whispered against the inside of my thigh. His lips met my lower lips and he kissed me softly. Then he licked my aching core and I hissed in pleasure.

I wrapped my legs around his shoulders and his tongue thrust inside me. "Oh god Edward!" I screamed. He replaced his tongue for two fingers causing me to gasp. His mouth went to my clit and he started licking, sucking and nibbling at it. Nothing but moans and groans were coming out of my mouth now.

His fingers were pumping into me hard and fast and I felt my body flush with heat as my blood began to boil.

"Let go love. Cum for me." He said as he curled his fingers inside me hitting my g-spot and making my body go wild. My walls clamped around his thrusting fingers and my body felt like it exploded. My back arched off the bed, I gripped the sheets tight and screamed his name.

I came hard on his hand and he lapped up all my juices, cleaning me as I had him. My body was spent, and I couldn't move. Edward's arms wrapped around my body and he pulled me up the bed and laid next to me. He covered us both up and I snuggled into his chest.

"I love you Edward."

"I love you Bella."

Edward and I stayed like that until our breathing returned back to normal. He kissed my forehead.

"Was that okay?" he asked, shyly. Since when was Edward shy about this kind of thing?

I laughed into his chest.

"Slightly better than okay". I kissed his chest, over his heart.

See, the problem with being with someone like Edward is the sex. I can't get enough of him. I feel like I'm turning into Emmett.

_Woah. Did I really just say that?_

Edward went into the bathroom to start the shower, and I called to him that I'd be in in just a minute. I pulled out my cell phone and sent a quick text message to Alice and Rose.

_Hey girls-_

_I think I just found out their "revenge". If you haven't discovered it yet, I'm sorry. See you tomorrow! _

_B_

Edward and I showered and got dressed, and went downstairs to the hotel restaurant for dinner. It was nice to be alone with him, so we could actually talk.

"So, how's school going?" I asked after we'd ordered.

"Really busy," he looked at his hands on the table. "I may not have time for anything until Thanksgiving". He warned, not looking up at me. I could feel my face fall. I was really getting sick of the whole long distance thing, and it was only the first week of October.

"But how is school for you?" He asked, looking back up at me.

"It's okay, but it's going to be a hard semester for me, too. I am just bracing myself ahead of time, because I won't be able to get any sleep until Spring."

"What would you think about us taking a weekend vacation around Christmas time?" He asked, suddenly, and my eyes lit up at the thought.

"I think I would love that!" I told him enthusiastically. "Where to?"

"Chicago?" he asked.

"I'd love that!"

"Well then. It's settled. Do you want to go before Christmas, or after and spend New Years Eve there?" He asked, pulling out his blackberry.

"Lets go before Christmas. We have to go to your parents' party." I told him.

"Oh yes. How could I forget?" The first time I'd gone to the party, we'd had our first kiss at midnight and it was amazing.

We didn't make much conversation at dinner, but it was comfortable. It had been a hectic week here, and we were both stressing about what we were missing in school. We went back to the hotel room, and were both sitting in bed reading when Emmett barged in. He laughed, and ran over to jump on the bed.

"Mommy! Daddy!" he teased. I rolled my eyes and continued reading my novel for class.

"I'm doing homework here, Emmett. And why are you barging into our room? What if we'd been having sex?" I asked, embarrassed at the thought. He shrugged.

"I need to talk to Edward. Now". He said through his teeth.

"Smooth". Edward whispered under his breath. He slipped out of bed, and the two of them walked out into the living area, shutting the door behind them so I couldn't hear what they were saying. That was fishy.

At least I didn't have to worry about them plotting their revenge.

**Edward's POV**

"Edward that worked like a charm. They all think that the 'dominating' shit was our revenge. They sent text messages to each other. They have no idea!" Emmett whispered with a very large grin. I rolled my eyes.

"This is getting childish Emmett". He snorted.

"Whatever. Anyway, everything is all set for the Bachelorette Party. Jasper got Alice to tell him where they're having it. It's going to be over at Coyote Ugly. This was way too easy". He smirked.

"Well shh! We haven't pulled it off yet. Don't jinx anything." I hushed, looking towards the bedroom door. I hoped Bella wasn't listening.

"They pull much more elaborate pranks than we do, but I don't have time to sit and plot a really good one out like last time. Besides, I can't do anything hardcore right before the wedding and risk the actual wedding." He laughed.

"Right." I agreed.

"Alright, get back to being a geek with your super hot girlfriend". He teased, walking out the front door.

_This better be good. _I thought to myself as I went back to reading with Bella.

**Bella's POV**

_Thursday October 6__th__ 2010_

I woke up with my head still resting on Edward's bare chest. Yesterday had been a very long day of confirmations and last minute wedding plans. I had been in at least ten different taxis. I literally walked in the door at 10:30pm and collapsed into Edward's arms before either of us could say a word. I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"Good morning, love". He whispered.

"Good morning. I'm sorry about last night. I was so tired." I admitted, rubbing my eyes.

"It's perfectly all right, love. You need your strength for tonight". He laughed. I groaned. Bachelor and Bachelorette parties were tonight. We had no idea where the boys were going, it was very hush-hush. I knew that I could get Edward to tell me, but truth be told, I didn't want to know. We were going to Coyote Ugly and we had strippers coming, as well. Rosalie had actually rented out the bar. It was closed except for us. There were about twenty or thirty friends of Rosalie's coming. Esme, and everyone over the age of 30 actually, had politely declined their invitations to go, which I was glad for. Esme wouldn't want to see her future daughter in law doing God knows what with a stranger on top of the bar. Edward hadn't asked where we were going tonight either, and I wasn't about to offer that information up. I wasn't stupid. I knew they'd get drunk or bored (or both) and come and crash our party.

A few hours later, I was in the bathroom, sitting on the countertop crossed-legged with my arms folded across my chest. On the door, was my "dress" that Alice had dropped off for me to wear tonight. First of all, I wasn't wearing that. Second of all, even if I did, it would doubtful that Edward would let me out of the hotel room wearing it. I heard a knock on the door, and Edward peeked his head in.

"Are you okay, love?" he asked, alarmed at the expression on my face. I waved him in. He shut the door behind him, and leaned on the counter next to me.

"That's what your sister wants me to wear tonight". I growled.

"What's wrong with it?" He asked, going over to it to look at it.

"Look at the back". I instructed, and he turned the hanger over in his hands.

"Love, it's a backless dress", he rolled his eyes at me. "Put it on and lets go. We're going to be late. Rosalie and Emmett have both called us several times. They're waiting on us." He left me in the bathroom to change. (A/N: dress is on my profile). I slipped out of my silk robe and into the dress, keeping my back to the mirror. I slipped on the black heels that she'd brought over to go with the dress and grabbed my clutch. I took a glance at myself in the mirror. I had left my hair down and curled it loosely. My make up was natural, but I'd used a little eyeliner tonight, which made my eyes smokier than usual. I wasn't going to lie. I looked hot.

I shyly opened the door, and Edward was leaning against the adjacent window.

"You look beautiful". He told me, coming over to wrap my arms around me. He kissed my neck, and his hands snaked up my thighs and underneath the hem of my dress. I laughed and pulled back.

"Easy there. You said we were already late!" I giggled. He gave me a disappointed look, but pulled back slightly. It was then that I realized how sexy he looked. He had on dark jeans, a black button down, with the top few buttons opened. His hair was unruly as usual, but had never looked sexier. He was wearing a black leather jacket over that.

"You look hot". I said, blunty. He laughed, and kissed me.

"Alright, we need to get out of this hotel room." He said, pulling me towards the door.

"Wait, wait. You're going to let me go to a bachelorette party, which includes strippers, looking like this?" I asked, confused. He smiled, but it was smug, like he knew something that I didn't.

"I am tonight, love". And he pulled me out of the hotel room without another word.

We all met at Rosalie and Emmett's and then went our separate ways from there. Rose and Alice said in the car taxi over that Emmett and Jasper were acting as peculiar as Edward had. (A/N: Alice and Rose's dresses are on my profile as well).

When we arrived at the bar, Alice pulled the hilarious veil out that we'd found while we were out shopping almost a year ago. It was a veil made of condoms. Rosalie's friends began to filter in steadily, and the party was going incredibly well. Alice and I were in the middle of the dance floor dancing together, laughing. I knew I was going to be sick tomorrow, but I didn't care. It was a spa day anyway. And no matter how drunk I got, I knew that the boys would be way worse. In fact, they may still be drunk tomorrow. Alice and I kept eyeing each other, looking back and forth between each other and the clock. Finally, it was 8:30. Just then, three girls that I didn't recognize walked into the bar.

"Rose?" I shouted to her, over the music. "Do you know them? I thought this was supposed to be a private party?" She looked over at them.

"No, I don't." She began to walk over, Alice and I following close behind when the music changed and the girls stepped onto the bar.

And then the three of us realized it all at the same time.

Shit. So _this _was the boys' "revenge". I shrugged. Rose laughed, and turned to me. Bella, get your camera and give it to my old roommate, Zafrina," she instructed, speaking loudly into my ear, "and then join Alice and I on the bar." My eyes grew wide.

"But Rose-" she stopped my protest.

"Bella. Two can play at this game. Well, in this case, six. Just do it Bella." She instructed, climbing onto the bar with Alice. I did as I was told, pulling my camera out of my clutch, handing it to Zafrina.

"Hey, could you make sure you document this thoroughly?" I asked her, slightly embarrassed. She smiled and nodded, taking the camera.

"Prank from the boys, huh?" she guessed. I only rolled my eyes and nodded.

"I don't think guys understand that girls aren't disgusted with grinding against another girl." I laughed.

I climbed onto the bar, and stumbled slightly, but I recovered when Alice held out her hand. We began dancing scandalously with the girls, who began stripping. I took another few shots of tequila. Everyone at the party was snapping pictures like crazy and the lights were beginning to throw off my balance. That was until I looked over and saw Rose kissing one of the strippers. I was drunk, but not drunk enough to make out with a girl. Yet.

Rose maneuvered around the bar and stood next to me, pulling a wad of dollar bills out of her bra. I laughed. She handed some to me.

"Make sure Zafrina gets a picture of you tucking a dollar bill into one of their g-strings". Rosalie told me.

After the party was over, we had the cab driver take us to a 24 hour Walgreens to print out the pictures. We had three copies of every picture made and bought three tiny bottles of aspirin. We tucked our pictures and our aspirin into our purses. I decided to just go ahead and sleep on the floor of Rosalie's with Alice. The boys must have already been back because Rosalie kept whispering. Alice was laughing, and the room kept spinning. I thought I remembered seeing Esme before I fell asleep, or passed out but I wasn't sure about either one.

_Friday October 7__th__, 2010_

I woke up when the sun was just coming up, still in my dress and I felt like crap. Alice was passed out cold beside me. Esme and Carlisle were at the kitchen table sipping coffee. I grabbed my purse and slipped on my shoes.

"Hey guys." I greeted them, pulling my wrap around my shoulders.

"Hey," Carlisle laughed, coming to wrap an arm around my shoulders. "You girls looked like you had a lot of fun." He observed, looking at my disheveled expression.

"Yeah, I should get back to the hotel. I need to shower and change…"I hiccupped, wincing. "And take a bottle of aspirin. Carlisle smiled and nodded.

"Make sure to drink a lot of water. And don't worry. We texted Edward that you were sleeping here". He reassured me, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. I'd hug you both, but I'm pretty sure I smell really bad. I'll see you soon, Esme, and I'll see you at the rehearsal, Carlisle."

Rose ran into the room, and caught me before I could leave.

"Wait, Bella", she whispered. "Remember to show Edward those pictures". She winked, and opened the door for me.

Oh. The pictures. I had brief flashes of my drunken dancing around with the strippers. And our part of their "revenge". I looked them over in the cab, wincing at some of them. I must have been obliterated last night. There was a picture of Alice and I kissing, a group shot of all six of us dirty dancing, a few pictures of Rose making out with the stripper…they got worse as the night went on. I laughed a little. It was quite a bachelorette party. I walked into the hotel, straightening my appearance, though I was pretty sure my "walk of shame" did not go unnoticed.

I slid my key card through the door and it unlatched. I quietly stepped into the room, and shut and latched the door as quietly as I could. I slipped off my heels, and saw Edward sitting against the headboard with his eyebrows raised. He laughed at my appearance, and a little too loudly. I winced, but climbed into bed and groaned.

"Long night, baby?" He asked, smugly. I only nodded and hiccupped again. He handed me a bottle of water.

"You should start drinking, love".

"Ugh. Please don't say 'drinking' for a very long time."

"Can I get you anything?" Oh, this was too easy.

"Yeah, there's some aspirin in my bag. I set it on the chair over there. Could you get it for me?" I asked, groaning. I didn't even have to act like I was in pain. Just then, a sharp pain shot through my stomach, and I sprinted to the bathroom, and made it just on time. I brushed my teeth thoroughly and went back out to the bedroom. Edward, as planned, was flipping through the pictures, his mouth wide open, and he looked _very_ turned on. I slipped back into the bathroom quietly, and started the shower. I quickly washed every inch of my body, glad to smell a little less like tequila, but I got the feeling that it was seeping out of my pores, regardless of how many times I washed myself. I wrapped one towel around me, tucking it under my armpits, and began drying my hair with another towel. I stepped into my lacy boy short panties, and put on my bra, slipping into my dress for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I was going to the spa first, but my dress was pretty casual, so I decided to wear it to the spa. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Edward was still staring at the pictures, but was seated now.

"Edward? What are you doing?" I asked, pretending to be angry. His eyes were dark.

He was speechless for quite some time. I rolled my eyes, and slipped into my shoes, grabbed my bag, and kissed him on my way out.

"I'll see you at the church later." I winked at him. He was still staring, completely speechless.

**Edward's POV**

I don't know how long I sat, staring at that picture of my girlfriend and sister in a lip lock. It was obvious they were both drunk and it was obvious that our plan of revenge had backfired on us. All three of the girls looked like they had a lot of fun with the strippers that we had hired. Jasper found out the men that Alice had hired, and had called to swap the men with girls, thinking they'd be disappointed and angry, but we had just made it a better party, from the looks of it. Plus, their party lasted a good 3 or 4 hours longer than ours. I felt my erection through my pajama pants and groaned. Just then, I heard my cell phone ring, and grabbed it off of the nightstand, clearing my throat before answering.

"Edward? Did you see them?" He asked, sounding just as turned on as I was.

"Yes. We got revenge, and only ended up giving them a better party".

"You and Jazz should have listened to me and we should have crashed their party".

"I think we need to stop with the pranks. They always one-up us". I conceded. Emmett agreed.

"Fine. We will declare a truce. For now." Emmett said, hanging up quickly. I sauntered into the bathroom to take a very cold shower before meeting the rest of the guys for lunch.


	5. The Wedding

**A/N and Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. This chapter isn't perfect, but I've been working on it for hours, and just can't seem to get it right. So, so sorry if you guys wanted more...but I just couldn't word some of it right. Let me know what you thought! Thanks again for the many lovely reviews, alerts and favorites. :) I'm trying to answer all your reviews personally, but there are so many, it might take me awhile. Thanks! Next chapter should be up early tomorrowish. **

**Bella's POV**

_Friday October 7__th__, 2010_

The spa was wonderful. We got massages, and manicures and pedicures. Rosalie was starting to get nervous, and couldn't hold still. Esme took her aside and talked to her, and she came back feeling better. My phone buzzed, indicating that I had a text message.

_I love you I love you I love you._

_-Edward_

I laughed. I wondered what the boys were talking about that made him feel the need to send me that text message. I quickly typed out a reply.

_I love you too. You boys should probably stop looking at those pictures now. You all need to behave tonight. ;)_

_-Bella_

He didn't answer me again after that, which made me laugh a little bit. After we were done at the spa, we went back to Rosalie's apartment to finish getting ready. I only had to re-touch my make up and smooth out my hair and dress.

Alice had decided to theme the rehearsal at The Plaza, and the subsequent dinner black and white. She thought the pictures would look cool this way, so everyone was to wear only black and white. We had drilled this into the boys' heads, and Alice had gone so far as to pick out and press their clothes for the evening. All they had to do was shower, dress, and get to the church.

I'll be honest. Esme, Alice and I were making bets at what they were wearing. But, they showed up looking absolutely perfect, and they were on time. Once the rehearsal began though; it was a different story. Emmett could not stop his laughter whenever he saw Alice, Rosalie and I speaking in close proximity. Finally, Rosalie rolled her eyes at him and snapped.

"Emmett Cullen, so help me, if you pull any kind of stuff like this after this moment, you will be sorry. I will cancel this engagement. Those pictures were used to show you that your revenge did nothing but make the party more fun. You will not ever, ever see a repeat of that again. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes", Emmett choked, looking very scared.

"Wonderful!" Then, she took a deep breath and turned back to the minister.

"Now. What were you saying about the vows?" She asked in a very sweet voice. Emmett looked scared now.

We ran through the rest of what would happen at the ceremony and walked back up the aisle. I linked arms with Edward, and followed Alice and Jasper. Edward looked like he was holding back laughter. I looked up at him.

"Do you have something to say, dear?" I asked in the most innocent voice I could manage. He shook his head, and bent over slightly to kiss the top of my head.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

The rehearsal dinner went much smoother. We all went around the table, telling Rosalie or Emmett stories. Edward gave a toast, as did Carlisle and Esme. I had noticed that Rosalie's parents were very quiet throughout the whole thing. They hadn't been involved in barely any wedding details, and hadn't been present for the rehearsal, just for the dinner. They didn't look proud, but they didn't look unhappy. But I noticed that whenever Rosalie looked over at them, she got a sad look in her eye, and Emmett always reached out to touch her in some way. Sometimes he'd just put his hand on the small of her back, and sometimes he'd hold her hand, or lean over to kiss her softly. I made a mental note to ask Edward about it later.

There was a small dance floor and quite a few people were dancing. I was watching Esme and Carlisle as they spun around the dance floor when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"They're pretty amazing aren't they?" Edward admired, softly. I nodded. He held out his hand.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked, looking slightly nervous.

"Sure" I agreed and let him lead me to the middle of the dance floor. The song "Moon River" came on, and I melted into his arms. I loved this song. He chuckled.

"Do you like this song?" He asked. I noticed that in his arms, the entire rest of the room faded away. I only nodded in response. He pressed his lips to my temple.

It was at that moment that I was sure. I would, someday, marry Edward Cullen.

_Saturday October 8__th__, 2010-The Wedding_

Today was the day of the wedding. I woke up in Edward's strong arms, my head resting on his bare chest. I rolled over to check the time. It was 7am. The bridal party was getting ready in a suite at the plaza at 9:30am, starting with a brunch, but for the girls only. The boys were doing the same thing, but Carlisle was cooking at the apartment Rosalie and Emmett shared. Rose had spent the night at The Plaza last night, giving Emmett the apartment, because it just made sense that way. I felt Edward lean down to kiss my forehead.

"Good morning, love". Edward said sleepily. I leaned up on my elbows to kiss him. He twisted a lock of my hair around his fingers, and pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss.

"Edward, we have to stop. We have to get ready". I said, reluctantly. He groaned.

"Bella, you're going to be the death of me. First, those pictures, and now this…"

"Edward. If you behave this morning, I promise to make it worth your while tonight."

He groaned, but kissed my nose.

"Oh, fine". He agreed. I climbed over him to get to the shower. I took my time, letting the hot water beat against my back, relaxing me. I felt my eye lids began to droop, and felt myself getting sleepy again. I'd have to remember to run down to Starbucks before everyone started getting ready. I finally turned off the shower, and stepped out carefully, not wanting to slip and bust my head open. I dried myself off, and slipped on a pair of jeans and a button up white shirt. I didn't do my make up or hair, since it would all be re-done later anyway. I dried my hair with the towel a little, and ran a brush through it so it wouldn't tangle. When I walked back out, I laughed at what I saw.

Edward was burrowed under the covers with a pillow cover his face, and Alice was sitting on my side of the bed chattering away. Alice looked up at me.

"Good morning Bella!" I smiled at her.

"Alice, I'm ready to go. I'll meet you downstairs". I assured her.

"But Bella…" she whined, but I cut her off with a look.

"If you leave now, I won't throw a fit. You can do what you want with my hair and makeup." I knew I had to bribe her to get her away from Edward. You see, everyone needed Edward to be happy, because if Edward was having a bad day, everyone was having a bad day. She agreed, and silently left the room, but stopped just outside the door.

"I'll wait for you outside, Bella". She assured me, and shut the door behind her. I sat on the edge of the bed, and pried the pillow out of Edward's hands. He moaned, and moved his head to my thighs.

"I'm sorry about her," I told him, running my hands through his hair.

"It's alright." He mumbled. I smiled down at him. He was…indescribable. He was shirtless with the sheet loosely laying across his hips. I could see his morning erection through the thin sheet, but averted my eyes quickly. Luckily, he didn't notice my ogling.

"Alright baby, I have to go. I'll see you in a few hours," I promised, moving to get off the bed. He groaned, and grabbed my wrist.

"No…stay". He pleaded weakly, his eyes still shut and voice thick with sleep.

"I can't. Your sister will come back in". I warned him. I knelt down beside the bed, and kissed him as passionately as I could. I weaved my fingers through his hair and held his head tightly. His arm snaked around my back, tracing my bra through my shirt, his hands lingering over the clasp. I knew I had to pull away. When I did, we were both breathless and his eyes were finally opened. He smiled crookedly, and patted my butt.

"You better make good on your promise later, love". He winked at me. I smiled, and stood up.

"Don't worry. I will be ready and willing". I promised, grabbing my bag, and saying goodbye one more time, before Alice could barge back in.

Alright, after this morning's festivities, I've decided I'm eloping. I will not do the big white wedding with hair and make up. It was torture. Finally, it was 2:45pm, and we were making our way downstairs. I hadn't seen Edward since this morning, and I was missing him so much I couldn't breathe. I knew that Rosalie must be feeling the same way, so I kept throwing her sympathetic glances, which she seemed to appreciate.

The music began, and we began our descent down the aisle. Zafrina first, then Alice, and then me and then Rosalie. I locked eyes with Edward as I walked, hoping I could stay vertical. He winked at me when I got to the end of the aisle, and I smiled over at Emmett, who looked very calm for a groom. Emmett winked at me then, too. The bridal march began, and Rosalie, escorted by her father, began to walk slowly down the aisle. Her dress was perfect…everything about today was perfect. I saw tears spring into Emmett's eyes the moment he saw her, and he gasped. She had literally taken his breath away. By the time Rosalie got to the end of the aisle, they were both crying. Their shaky voices were barely able to make out their words, but they managed. When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, we all cheered, and Emmett picked Rose up and spun her around. I noticed something then that I'd never noticed before. Emmett looked at Rosalie the same way Carlisle looked at Esme; and the same way Edward looked at me.

Emmett and Rose practically ran back up the aisle, beaming. Alice and Jasper walked back up, with Edward and I following. He was smiling, as well.

"They are really happy". I observed. He nodded.

"They are". He agreed.

Then, there was a transition from the Wedding hall to the reception room, which was downstairs. We all filed into the beautifully decorated ballroom. White flowers were everywhere, and the chairs were draped with white linen, with big white bows tied at the back. I took a seat next to Edward at the head table, and he was given a microphone to introduce the bride and groom, officially, Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Cullen. Edward's voice beamed with pride and happiness for his brother.

The reception was wonderful. I danced in Edward's arms, and drank champagne. I'd danced in a circle with Rosalie and Alice, the boys watching in awe from the sidelines, no doubt thinking about those pictures. Carlisle had asked me to dance as well, and it had meant a lot to me. The Cullen's had welcomed me into their family the moment I had moved into the small dorm room with Alice our freshman year at Dartmouth. It was hard to believe that I was a junior in college now. We posed for all kinds of pictures, and I knew that by the end of the night I would go blind. Then, the photographer called for the Cullen family only, and Jasper and I stepped to the side. Carlisle and Esme both shook their heads wildly and wave us back into the picture.

"You two are family. Get back in here". Carlisle scolded. I felt tears well up in my eyes.

Too soon, we had to say goodbye to Rosalie and Emmett. They were vacationing in Europe for a few weeks but would be back in time for Thanksgiving, so I would see them in Washington then. I hugged them both tightly and said goodbye. We stood on the front steps of The Plaza, and waved to them until their limo disappeared around the corner. Edward was holding me from behind, my back pressed into his chest. It was a little chilly out, but the October night air was wonderful. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't all a dream.


	6. Edward's Secret

**Disclaimer: Alright kids, you should know by now that I am not Stephenie Meyer and therefore do not own Twilight. I don't own Friends either. **

**Bella's POV**

_November 13, 2010_

I'd been back at school for a little over a month now and the worst part was that I hadn't seen Edward since. Actually, we'd barely spoken since. Our schedules just never allowed us to talk for longer than 15 minutes. We'd been trading voicemails for a week now, and it was starting to take its toll on me. I pulled up to my and Alice's house and yanked the keys out of the ignition of my truck. I threw my bag over my shoulder, and stormed into the house, slamming the door behind me. I ran up to my room and tried Edward's cell again, but it went straight to voicemail. I ended the call without leaving a message, and typed a quick text instead.

_Hey stranger-_

_Remember me? I miss you…please call me as soon as you have a free minute, I don't care what time it is. Everyone's okay, and it's not urgent, just please call your girlfriend? Thanks. I love you, and I hope you're doing okay! I miss you._

_B_

I knew he'd call as soon as he could. I had a very bad week at school and it was Friday night, so I could wait up all night if I had to. This week, my English professor called me into his office, and basically advised me to drop his class because I was doing so badly. I had no idea what had gotten into me.

Alice suggested it was missing Edward, but I didn't think so. I missed him, sure. But I still was able to focus on studying, so that couldn't have been it. I just needed to hear his voice and I would be fine. I decided to study while I waited on his phone call. I sunk into my bed and opened a novel for my English class. Just then, I heard a soft knock at my door. Alice poked her head in.

"Hey Bel. Can I come in?" She asked. I nodded, and patted the space next to me on my bed. She sat down, and looked at me for a moment before speaking.

"Are you okay?" She asked concerned. I shook my head.

"I don't know, Alice. My professor basically asked me to drop his class because I'm not doing well…" Alice put an arm around me.

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay Alice…and I haven't been able to see or really talk to Edward since New York. I knew the long distance relationship thing was going to be hard, but I didn't anticipate it would be this hard. I mean, I didn't realize how important the small things were like holding hands or dates and stuff." I sniffed, holding back tears.

"And the sex stuff". Alice teased. I rolled my eyes.

"Alice, that's your brother." I pointed out. She didn't even bat an eyelash.

"And we're all adults, Bella." She countered. I thought for a moment, and gave in.

"But it's not just about the sex, Alice. I mean, don't get me wrong…that part's great, but it's about the intimacy. I feel distant from him. I hate that I have no idea what's going on in his life right now." I confided. She listened to me rant without saying a word.

"Bella, things will get better. This is a tough semester, for both of you, but Thanksgiving is in a two weeks, and then you can be together. Then, we come back for 3 days of class and a week of finals, and then we're home again for a month. You just have to ride this out. Maybe one of you should ditch school and spend the weekend together. Come here, or go to Boston. Hell, go to New York." She suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." I agreed.

"Alright, I have to go, I'm going to be late, I've got a study group, but if you need me, call me. Edward will call sometime this weekend, I'm sure of it". She promised before leaving. I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up much later to the sound of my phone ringing. I scrambled for it, and found it under my thigh. I answered it immediately.

"Hello?" I choked.

"Baby? Are you okay?" I sighed in relief. _Edward_.

"Oh Edward. Finally" I breathed, and he chuckled.

"I know, love, I'm sorry. I've been working crazy shifts at the hospital and between that and my classes… I barely have time to sleep." He apologized, sounding just as sick of this as I was.

"So are you okay, baby?" He asked, sounding very worried.

"No." I said, truthfully. "Edward, is this as hard for you as it is for me?"

"Yes…the worst part of it is that we aren't that far away from each other. We're both just so busy we can't make the time…" he said sadly.

We continued to talk about anything and everything, but I didn't tell him about my professor. I started to, but I didn't want to burden him with anything else. I tried to talk him into driving up right now to see me, but he said he had weekend plans. He was vague about them, which worried me slightly, but I knew I had to trust him.

**Edward's POV**

Bella's phone call broke my heart. It made it worse that I had to basically lie to her.

Because I did have plans this weekend. I left Friday evening for New York. I was drove while I talked to Bella. Shortly after we hung up, I crossed the bridge into Manhattan and parked in the parking garage across the street from their building. Emmett buzzed me up and invited me in. When I'd called earlier in the week they had just gotten home from their honeymoon in Europe, and was vague about my reasoning for needing to stay with them. I kissed Rose's cheek as she lead me into the living room where Emmett was.

"Hey bro!" He greeted, standing to hug me. He waved for me to sit in the recliner across from his spot on the couch. Rosalie sat next to him.

"So little brother…is everything okay?" Emmett was clearly worried.

"Yes, everything is perfect. Don't' worry. Emmett, I'm sorry, would you mind if I talked to Rose alone for a moment?" Now he looked really worried.

"Sure. I'll be in the other room watching TV. Just come find me if you need anything". He told both of us, patting my shoulder as he left the room. I moved to sit next to a concerned Rose.

"Edward, I'm not having an affair with you," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. I laughed.

"No Rose. I need your help with something". I said, wringing my hands in nervousness.

"Anything. You are my brother now". She reassured, patting my knee.

"I need help shopping". She rolled her eyes at that.

"Edward, Alice would be very angry with me if she found out you came to me about shopping instead of her…" she scolded, and I nodded my head in agreement.

"I agree, but I need a female opinion, and Alice wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut." I explained, knowing I needed to get to the point.

"Out with it Edward. Stop beating around the bush". Rose told me, exasperated. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to word this.

"Alright, sorry. I need help picking out an engagement ring". A wide smile came across her face as she lept off the couch and began jumping up and down.

"Oh Edward! That's wonderful! Of course I'll help you!" She said, hugging me tightly.

"But wait, Edward. Why didn't you want to tell Emmett?" she asked, confused.

"Oh, I will tell him right now. I just wanted to ask you alone. I wanted you to be able to say no without influence from my brother". I explained and she nodded in understanding.

"Oh Edward. It's an honor to do this for you. My first official act as your sister". She said, clapping her hands. I laughed, and hugged her again, before we called Emmett back into the room.

"What's the deal?" he asked, seeing my ridiculous smile.

"I'm proposing to Bella." I told him, and he hugged me tightly. I gasped for air as Rosalie stood back, laughing. Emmett finally let me go.

"I'm sorry," He chuckled, letting me breathe. "I'm so excited for you, little brother. Married life is so amazing". He said, wrapping an arm around Rosalie. We all stood in silence for a moment.

"Alright boys. Let's eat." She said, shuffling us into the kitchen. It smelled heavenly. I haven't eaten anything healthy in a long time.

"Thanks so much for doing this Rose. I haven't eaten sitting down since your wedding, I don't think". I said honestly. She handed me the salad bowl, and set lasagna on the table. We chatted while we ate, and they told me about their honeymoon, sparing me the gross details, for the most part.

I slept in the guest room and slept wonderfully. I, once again, hadn't slept like that since sleeping with Bella in my arms since the wedding. Tomorrow, Rosalie and I were going to Tiffany and Company to look at rings. I'd finally decided how I was going to do it, and had made all the phone calls to be sure that it was booked and possible on the date that I wanted it.

The next morning, Rosalie had made another delicious breakfast, and we set out to ring shop. Alice had called twice, but I didn't answer, not wanting to have to lie to her.

New York was beautiful in the fall. I loved the city. I would love to move here someday, but I don't know how much Bella would like that. It was a pretty cold morning. Both Rosalie and I had on leather coats, our hands buried in our pockets.

"So have you thought of how you are going to propose?" She asked, linking her arm through mine.

"I know how I am going to propose to her. Can you keep a secret?" I asked. She nodded.

"Of course. Spill, I am your sister now." She promised.

"Alright. So I asked her awhile ago what she would think about a weekend away, just the two of us in Chicago. And then, she forced me to watch Friends late one night, and one of the characters gave me an idea. So we're going to fly to Chicago for four days, and then I'm taking her to the Planetarium, and I'll have flowers and candles everywhere, and then 'Moon River' will be playing…" I paused as Rose looked like she wanted to ask a question.

"Why Moon River?" she asked.

"We danced to it at your wedding, and she mentioned how much she loved it". She nodded, and motioned for me to continue. "Well, and I'm trying to get 'Bella Swan will you marry me?' written in the stars, but I'm still working on it." I explained. She was speechless.

"Edward. That's amazing. She's going to love it, it's perfect. I think she's really going to appreciate that it will just be the two of you, you know how she hates attention". I nodded in agreement and we both rolled our eyes at the thought. Just then, we arrived at Tiffany's, and I held the door open for her.

We spent the better part of the morning looking at engagement rings, and then I saw it.

Bella's ring. It was designed for her, I was positive of it.

The woman took it out of the case and set it on the velvet book.

"It's 2.5 carats, inspired by the Edwardian period." My head snapped up at that and Rosalie laughed.

"We'll take it" she told the woman, who was laughing as well. Rosalie explained quickly that my name was Edward, and the saleswoman smiled. I just held the ring in my hands, staring, as the woman drew up paperwork. I heard Rosalie tell her my proposal plan and they were both wiping away tears at the end.

I decided at the last minute to have the ring engraved. I bought the matching wedding band as well and decided to have the wedding band engraved with _You Bring Out the Best in Me. _

They gave me a leather folder containing the ring information for both the engagement ring and wedding band. I got to take the ring home with me today. Rose said she'd pick up the wedding band when it arrived and would keep it at their house until I needed it or wanted it.

Now that I had the ring, I didn't want to wait. I wanted to drive to New Hampshire and propose right now. How was I going to spend a week with her at Thanksgiving in Washington and not ask her? I wanted to stick with my Chicago plan…I had to focus on that.

**Author's Note: Aw! So what do you think?! I've posted a picture of Bella's engagement ring on my profile if you want to see it. **


	7. Thanksgiving

**A/N: Review and I'll send you a preview for the proposal. :) I don't own Twilight! Thanks so much for your amazing reviews so far! So sorry it took me so long to update, I re-wrote this chapter like six times, but I think I'm finally happy with it. :) **

**Bella's POV**

_Wednesday November 26, 2010_

I stared at the numbers on the digital clock beside my bed.

4:57am

I can't get to sleep. I was too excited. Today I would get to see Edward and we would be together for a whole five days. Five amazing days. Well. Almost.

Charlie and I were having Thanksgiving with the Cullen's, but then Charlie and I would drive back to Forks, a couple hours away from Seattle, but Alice was going to come spend a few days in Forks, and Edward thought he'd come with her. Of course, we were spending Thanksgiving night at the Cullen's, as Alice was once again forcing me, against my will, to go shopping on Black Friday with Rose and Esme. Not that I was opposed to spending time alone with them, I just hated shopping. Especially at 5am.

Edward had been acting really strange the last few weeks. It was starting to make me paranoid. He kept making these secret trips to Manhattan, and wouldn't tell me about it until after the fact so that I couldn't insist on meeting him there. Alice told me not to worry, he'd been spending every night at Emmett and Rose's. I trusted him and all…it was just strange.

5:15am

This was really irritating. I just wanted to sleep away the time. I'd considered taking an over the counter sleeping pill, but I didn't want to oversleep my ride to the airport.

I must have drifted off sometime, because Alice woke me up at 11am.

"Bella, you have to get up now. Jazz is picking us up in an hour to drive to the city. We have to go!" Alice said, excitedly. I only groaned.

"Bella! You get to see Edward in five hours! You need to be presentable! He hasn't seen you in a month!"

That woke me up. I shot out of bed with a huge smile in my face. Alice giggled.

"That's more like it!" Alice laughed, leaving my room, closing the door behind her. I took a quick shower and stood in front my closet, just staring in my towel, my hair dripping down my back.

I couldn't decide what to wear. Alice and I had gone shopping awhile back, but I couldn't decide on which outfit. I decided on a pair of skinny jeans, brown knee high boots, a white t-shirt and a brown leather jacket. I knew I looked good in this outfit. I laid the outfit on my bed, going back into the bathroom to blow dry my hair and put on a little make up. Nothing too dramatic. I finished getting ready, got dressed and threw a few last minute things into my suitcase.

I found Jasper and Alice seated on the couch downstairs. Alice's jaw dropped when she saw me.

"Bella! You look HOT! I'm so proud of you!!" Alice shrieked, jumping up to hug me.

"Alright girls, we have to go, or everyone is going to be waiting on us". Jasper said.

We loaded up the car and began the 4 hour journey to Manhattan. We were flying out of La Guardia. As we began to see signs of the airport, I grew increasingly restless. I knew we would be the last ones there, because Edward had texted me to see where we were and how long we would be. We pulled into the small parking lot adjacent to the airport hanger where "CullenAir" was housed. I saw Edward leaning against his car, beaming, and was out of the car before Jasper parked. I jumped into his waiting arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. He laughed and spun me around. I felt the tears began to slip down my cheeks, and tried to cry as softly as I could manage. Edward's body stiffened, and his arms moved from being wrapped around my waist. He placed his hands on my sides, trying to pull me away so he could see my face. I just tightened my arms around my neck so he couldn't pull me away.

"Baby?" he asked, alarmed. I didn't answer, I just cried into his neck.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?" He asked, growing alarmed. I just shook my head. It took me a moment to speak. Meanwhile, Edward wrapped his arms back around my waist, holding me tightly. Before I could answer, I heard Emmett behind us.

"Hey! Lovebirds! Let's go! You can screw each other on the plane if you need it that bad. We're going to be late as it is!" I heard Edward growl at him.

"Emmett. Shut up." There was a harshness to his voice that made me sure Emmett understood and dropped it. I heard him speak again a few moments later.

"I don't get it. Rose and I are the newlyweds…and these two are all over each other". Emmett whined.

"They haven't seen each other in a month you insensitive asshole". Rose snapped. I imagined her annoyed expression, rolling her eyes at her husband. I giggled a little bit.

"I'm okay, I'm sorry. I just missed you". I whispered to Edward, loosing my grip on him. He breathed a sigh of relief, and set me on the ground. He put his hands on either side of my face and gazed into my eyes, trying to read me.

"I missed you too". He said, kissing my forehead. I smiled as he pulled away. He smiled back, and put his pointer finger under my chin.

"I've missed that smile!" he laughed, kissing either side of my lips. I kissed him then. It was short, but passionate. He broke away.

"Alright, we need to get on the plane now." I turned around, but saw that we were alone now. He took my hand, and led me onto the plane. Everyone was seated, giving me very concerned glances. Emmett, on the other hand, pretended that he hadn't seen anything outside. He jumped up, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Hey there! How are you?" He asked, squeezing me so tightly my feet lifted off the floor. I coughed.

"Em-mett…can't breath!" I laughed, as Edward tried to pry me from Emmett's grip. I hugged Rosalie next, and took my seat next to Edward, buckling my seatbelt for take off. Alice kept staring at me, concerned, but didn't mention anything about it for the rest of the flight. I listened to Edward tell me stories about medical school, and all, but I couldn't focus. All I could think of was wondering why I had lost it with Edward. Sure, I had missed him so much, I felt like it would kill me, but crying? When I saw him? After only 3 and a half weeks? That wasn't me. What was wrong with me?

We landed and Carlisle and Esme picked us up from the hospital. We all chatted about what was new with them, but I was still preoccupied. I was thankful that the only one that seemed to notice was Alice. Edward was caught up in laughter with Carlisle…some kind of medical school or hospital inside joke.

We arrived at the house and almost immediately went to bed, tonight, I was going to sleep with Edward in his room, because Charlie wasn't as cool with us sharing a bed as Carlisle and Esme were. I had put my pajamas on and finished brushing my teeth in the bathroom that was connected to Edward's room. When I emerged, he was lying in bed, on his back underneath the white sheets. He was staring up at the ceiling, but his eyes snapped towards me when he heard me step out of the room. I smiled at him, and climbed into the bed, scooting closer. He opened his arms, and I slipped into them, resting my head on his cool chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, and brought the covers up to my chin. His hand went to my cheek, and his thumb pushed my face up so that my eyes met his.

"_Would you please tell me what you are thinking before I go completely mad?" _(From Eclipse).

Damnit. He was more perceptive then I gave him credit for.

"I'm just glad to see you again," I told him, which wasn't a lie.

"There's more to it than that". It wasn't a guess. It was a statement of fact. I tried to play innocent, and shook my head. He sighed.

"Alright, but Bella, just so you know, I want you to be able to talk to me about _anything_. Even if you think it will hurt my feelings or make you mad." He told me, sincerely.

I nodded.

"Edward, I'm fine." I reassured him. "Better than fine. I'm wonderful. I'm back in your arms, where I belonged". I smiled, snuggling closer to him. He dropped it then, and hugged me tighter. I was asleep in minutes.

The next morning when I woke up, Edward wasn't in bed. I looked to the bathroom, but the door was open, so I knew that he wasn't in there either. I looked at the clock.

11am?! How had I slept so late? I took a quick shower, and pulled on a nice pair of jeans and a black button down and went downstairs. Charlie was on the couch speaking to Esme and Carlisle. He looked up and smiled at me.

"Well there's my girl! We were wondering when you were going to wake up!" He called, and I ran over to hug him. I held him tightly, biting back tears again.

What the hell was going on? At least it was more acceptable to cry over.

"Good morning! Happy Thanksgiving!" I told them.

"Happy Thanksgiving, dear!" Esme said softly to me.

"How are you, kid?" My dad asked, putting an arm around me.

"I'm good! How are you, dad? You look absolutely wonderful!" I said, admiring him.

"I'm good, thanks to these two here. They take good care of me." He said, gesturing towards Carlisle as Esme.

"The kids went to do some last minute errands for me," Esme told me. "Thanksgiving tradition. I cook, so they do all the shopping". She laughed. I nodded in understanding.

Dinner was ready not too much later. We sat around the large table, with Charlie and Carlisle at the ends. Carlisle said a prayer of thanks, and we began to pass the food around the table.

"Alright kids, you know the drill. Everyone go around and say one thing you're thankful for." Esme said, looking towards Carlisle to start.

"Alice, why don't you start?" Carlisle asked, looking to his right.

"I'm most thankful for Jasper". She said, clutching his hand, kissing his cheek. Carlisle rolled his eyes.

"No, that's unacceptable. You said that last year". Carlisle said. "You know the rules".

Alice groaned.

"Fine…I'm thankful for the fact that we are all together this year". Alice said looking toward Charlie and I. I cold see the emotion that clouded Charlie's eyes. Alice looked towards Jasper. He thought for a minute.

"I'm thankful to all of you, for accepting me so easily into the family". He said, sincerely.

I was sitting next to Jasper, and didn't even need to think about my answer. I had a back up.

"Well, I was going to say what Jasper said...but I am thankful for Alice and Edward. The best friend and boyfriend a girl could ask for." I said, and Alice smiled at me while Edward winked. Charlie was next.

"I am thankful for my health". Charlie said, beaming. Edward's turn was next. He locked eyes with me and said "I am thankful for my relationship with Bella". I was so lost in his eyes, that I missed what Emmett and Rosalie were thankful for, but I did pick up that both of them said they were thankful for their stable jobs and being married.

Carlisle and Esme said that they had a joint thing they were thankful for. They both looked right at me and I felt the blush start to rise against my cheeks.

"We are both thankful for the influence Bella has had on our son". Yep. I was blushing like an idiot, but I saw that Edward was beaming.

After dinner, desert and a little talking, Charlie and I decided to drive back to Forks for the night, and then Edward would pick me up and drive me back to Seattle early the next morning. I didn't argue, as I knew Charlie would find it uncomfortable sleeping at the Cullen's. The ride back home was quiet for the most part, as I was quiet.

It took me awhile to fall asleep that night. I was feeling off, and I couldn't pin point why. I must have fallen asleep sometime, because sometime in the middle of the night I woke up with a start.

I shot up in bed and lunged for my cell phone that was on my nightstand, falling off the bed in the process. I found Alice's number in my contacts, and hit the "send" button, not even bothering to check the time. As soon as she mumbled a sleepy "hello", I blurted it out.

"Alice. I'm late".


	8. Scare

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight. **

**Author's Note at the end of the chapter. I went ahead and posted this "half chapter", because I didn't want to keep you hanging on after that cliffhanger for too long. **

**Bella's POV**

Alice didn't answer me for a moment.

"Late for what?" she asked, sleepily.

"Alice!" I hissed, exasperated. "I'm late for my period."

I could almost hear the wheels click in her head as she shot up in bed.

"Oh my God. I'm on my way". And then the phone went dead. I looked at the clock.

2:30am.

I sat against my head board and stared.

How would Edward react? Scratch that, I was pretty sure I knew how he would react, and it made me mad. He should be mad, but I knew he would be nothing short of elated. I tried to count backwards in my head to figure out exactly how late I was, but I couldn't even remember when I'd had my last period. The fall semester had been so hard and hectic, I could barely remember anything. Before I knew it, I heard a car in the driveway, and I made my way downstairs quietly, I did not want Charlie to wake up. Alice and Rose jumped out of the car and ran towards the house, and I opened the front door before they could knock. They didn't say anything, we just stood there, hugging each other at 4:30 in the morning. I led them to the couch in the living room. Alice was the first to speak. I didn't even have to warn to be quiet because of Charlie.

"We left Edward a note to get here just as soon as he woke up. He should be leaving soon anyway for the shopping trip. On our way we picked up a few pregnancy tests so that you could take one to be sure." Alice said, keeping an arm wrapped around me. Rosalie was perched on the edge of the coffee table across from me, holding my hand, looking concerned.

"Bella, no matter what the outcome is, we're here, and we love you". Rosalie said.

Alice nodded in agreement.

"Do you want to take the test now, or wait for Edward?" Alice asked. I thought for a moment. On one hand, I wanted to know right away what was going on, but at the same time, I wanted to talk to Edward. I didn't need to make a choice, because just then, a car was in the driveway. We all knew who it was.

"Alright, Rosalie and I saw a diner that was open on the main part of town. We're going to go get a cup of coffee. You call us if you need anything, okay?" Alice said hugging me.

"I'm going to run up and put this in the top drawer of your dresser, okay?" Rosalie said, disappearing quietly up the stairs. I hugged Alice again, and thanked her, and Rosalie was back downstairs in no time. Rosalie gave me a quick hug, and kissed the top of my head. She and Alice truly were my sisters. They slipped out the door just as Edward was making his way up the walkway to the house. I grabbed a thick blanket from the couch and carried it outside with me. Edward looked seriously concerned. I needed to just get this out, and then everything would be okay.

Rosalie and Alice were out of the driveway before Edward even made it up to me.

"Bella! Are you alright?!" He asked, running towards me and sweeping me into his arms. He held me tightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm sorry. I just need to talk to you." I told him calmly. I took his hand and led him over to the porch swing. I swung my legs over his, and cuddled closely to him, covering us with the blanket. One of his arms was supporting my back, and the other was under the blanket, resting on my calf.

"Alright, I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it". I told him, but I was suddenly nervous, and couldn't look at him. His hand left my calf to pull my chin up.

"Love, please do not, ever, be scared to tell me anything". He pleaded, and I nodded.

"I'm late". I blurted out, and I felt better immediately after telling him. He didn't even bat an eyelash. I think he went into doctor mode.

"How late?"

"I have no idea…I can't remember my last period! This semester has just been so crazy, and I just can't remember much about this semester!" I knew I was rambling, but I didn't care. Edward didn't look mad…but I couldn't place his expression.

"I have a pregnancy test upstairs…Rose and Alice brought it by. I was going to take it, but then you pulled up." I told him, and his expression softened by my panic. He took my face between his hands.

"Bella, love, please calm down. I'm not angry, and I'm not going to leave you. Take a deep breath, and we will figure this out. The first thing we are going to do is take the test. There's no reason to worry, though, no matter the result of this. Bella, I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You aren't getting rid of me, okay?" He said passionately, and the tears slipped out of my eyes again. He smiled, and helped me stand.

"Alright, lets go". He said, and I led him back into the house.

He waited downstairs while I got the test out of my dresser drawer, and peed on the stick in the bathroom. Alice had bought me three tests. Alice and I had gone through this drill with Rose on several occasions, one being fairly recent. We always took three tests, because only relaying on one wasn't a smart idea. Luckily, I was able to pee on all three. I put the caps back on and came back downstairs to Edward. I set them on a papertowel on the coffee table, and climbed into Edward's lap to wait.

"How long do we have to wait?" he whispered.

"Three minutes". I said mechanically, staring out the window. He tightened his arms around me.

"Bella, you need to calm down. I'm not going anywhere, okay?" he reassured. I could only nod.

In those three minutes, I managed to completely freak myself out. Sure, he would stay with me if I was pregnant, but that was the problem. He was in medical school and I was in college. He would insist in moving back to Dartmouth with me so I could finish. I couldn't let him give up Harvard Medical School. At the same time, I knew that I couldn't abort a baby, either. Especially not Edward's and mine. Finally, the time was up. I stared into his eyes, and he gave me a smile. We both sat forward to look at the tests together. We gave a collective sigh of relief.

All three had the same symbol. Negative.

"Thank God". I breathed, sagging against his chest.

"I can't wait to have children with you, but I'm glad it's negative for now." He admitted. I smiled, and kissed him.

"We should talk….about what more we can do to avoid this situation for a few years", I suggested, motioning towards the tests sitting on the coffee table. He nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let me just change." I said, getting up.

"Do you want me to come up with you?" he asked. I nodded, and he followed me quietly upstairs. He thought ahead, and wrapped the paper towel around the tests and brought them up with us. I threw them away in the garbage can under my desk. I'd empty the trash on our way out so Charlie wouldn't find them.

"Hey, will you text Alice and Rose to stay at the diner, and we'll meet them there?" I whispered to Edward. He nodded and pulled out his blackberry and began typing. I found a pair of jeans and pulled them on quickly. I put on a bra, white t-shirt and a black cardigan. I slipped on my black ballet flats and grabbed my purse off the floor. I checked myself over in the mirror and ran a brush through my hair, pulling it into a ponytail.

"Alright, I'm ready" I whispered to Edward, picking up my trash on our way out. I put it in the trash bin in the garage, and made sure it was at the bottom so Charlie wouldn't find it.

Edward and I drove silently towards the diner. It was comfortable silence, nothing awkward. We both wanted to talk, but we'd do it in the car on the way back to Seattle. It wasn't anything we wanted to rush through. Alice and Rosalie were drinking coffee, looking exhausted when we walked in. I instantly felt guilty. This was the biggest shopping day of the year, and I had ruined it for Alice.

"So?" Alice asked anxiously, seeing us approach. Edward and I slid into the booth on the other side of the table.

"Negative", I breathed, and they both looked just as relieved as Edward and I had.

"That's great news, Bella. How do you feel about that?" Rose asked, looking at both Edward and I.

"We both agree that we are excited to be parents, but not right now". I told them, clutching tightly to Edward's hand.

"Great." Alice said, smiling at both of us. "Bella, if you don't want to go today, I totally understand". She said, although I knew it was a lie. She'd be disappointed if I said no.

"I want to go, Ali. I just need some breakfast and a strong cup of coffee first". I reassured her. She looked more relieved about that than she had about my negative test result. Edward and I both laughed at that.

We placed our orders for breakfast, and I instantly felt better.

"I still don't understand though. If I'm not pregnant, what the hell is wrong with me?" I asked, frustrated.

"Well, you've said several times how hard your semester has been. On top of that, we've had to transition from seeing each other everyday to once every few weeks. In my medical psychology class at Harvard, my professor talked about how relationships can stress you out more than anything. With the amount of stress you've been under, it can easily cause things like mood swings and can delay your period. You just need to calm down and relax. When you go back to school, make sure that you're spending some time doing something fun-"he stopped when Alice's eyes lit up.

"Alice, shopping isn't a stress reliever for everyone". Edward laughed, but then continued. "You know, read, or something that relaxes you for an hour or so a day, even if it means sacrificing study time. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, too. Nothing less than eight hours is acceptable." He instructed. I smiled at him, and leaned over to kiss him quickly.

"You're going to make an amazing doctor". I told him.

By the end of breakfast, as anticipated, I was much less freaked out, and ready to shop. On the way back to Seattle, Edward and I followed Alice and Rosalie. We stopped by my house again-I'd forgotten to leave Charlie a note to remind him I'd left to go shopping with the Cullen's. When we were back on the road, I brought the pregnancy scare back up.

"I think we should be more careful. I love you, Edward, and I want nothing more than to someday marry you and start a family, but I'm not ready to start a family this year. I'm selfish. I want you all to myself for a few years". I told him, hoping he wouldn't take this the wrong way.

"I completely agree, Bella. Are you still on the pill?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"Good. I can start wearing a condom from now on, too, if you want". He offered.

"I think that would be smart. Thank you". I said, taking his hand in mind. He really was wonderful. This conversation should have me blushing like it's going out of style, but I'm completely calm. I'm not even embarrassed.

"Bella?" he asked, looking towards me. "Do you know why I love you?" he asked.

"No." I admitted, laughing a little. He smiled.

"I love you because I don't have a choice. I love you without even thinking about it. There are some days, I wake up, and try to compare how much I love you to something, and it's just impossible. It's staggering." He smiled down at me. I kissed his hand.

"I love you, too". I said, simply.

The rest of Thanksgiving Break went by too quickly. Before I knew it we were on a plane back to New York City. The plane ride with Edward was spent listening to his lectures about adequate sleep times and making sure I'm staying healthy and as calm as possible during exam week. Our goodbye in New York was long and tearful, but I kept in mind that we were taking a vacation alone to Chicago in 2 ½ weeks. I tried to keep my mind on that. He kissed me, and helped me into Jaspers car.

"Be safe." He said, and kissed me sweetly on the lips once more before Jasper drove away. All I could think of as I watched his retreating form was that I was going to marry that man.

* * *

A/N: So Bella's not pregnant. I just wanted to add a little drama to the story, to make Bella realize that she really did want to marry Edward before the proposal, and I wanted to show the bond between them as well, that no matter what happens, he's not going anywhere.

The Proposal is next. I'm working on it now, and for those of you that have or will leave reviews on the last chapter (and this one) I'll send you a little sneak peak at the chapter. It may be up tonight if I can finish it, but it will be up by tomorrow night at the very latest. Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews, alerts and favorites. I'm so glad you're enjoying this story as much as I am. :)

* * *


	9. The Proposal

**The Proposal**

**Edward's POV**

**A/N: If you want to know what Edward/Bella are wearing for the proposal, check out the pictures of Rob Pattinson and Kristin Stewert at the Twilight (in the US) premiere. Author's note at the bottom. Enjoy! **

_Tuesday, December 19, 2010_

It was finally here.

Proposal Week, as Emmett had so affectionately called it. I had Bella's engagement ring, as well as the wedding band now. I had made confirmation calls to make sure I was all set for the flower and candle delivery and set up, and made sure that everything was set with the Chicago Planetarium. I'd made reservations at the Drake Hotel. Everything was set except for one thing. I had to ask Charlie's permission. Emmett was flying back with me tonight for moral support, but I was doing the actual asking on my own.

Both Emmett and Rosalie had been surprisingly wonderful throughout this whole process. I was afraid of the teasing from Emmett, but for the most part, he was very helpful. I mean, he wouldn't be Emmett without a few sexual innuendos's thrown in. Emmett, Rosalie and I were the only three that knew about this so far, and it would stay that way, with the exception of Chief Swan. I didn't want anyone else to know. Especially Alice, because she would no doubt force Bella into a shopping trip, and my cover would be blown. Bella's quite perceptive, and I wanted her to be completely thrown.

Bella was busy with finals, so I knew I wouldn't have to try hard to keep the fact that I was back in Washington a secret from her. If I told her I was there, especially in the middle of the week, surely she would suspect something. My dad had told me Charlie would be at the hospital for a check up on Wednesday, so I thought I'd stop by, and invite him out for coffee or something.

"Do you know how you're going to ask her?" Emmett asked, as our plane took off for Seattle. I shook my head.

"No, I figure that even if I did come up with some amazing speech, I'd completely forget every single word when I saw her. I figure I'll just say what's in my heart in the moment". I explained, and Emmett nodded his head in agreement.

"I think that's wise. That's what happened with Rose. I had this wonderful speech…I knew exactly what I was going to say, I even practiced it in the mirror. It was really great, for me at least. But the moment we stepped onto that candle lit beach, and were alone, all cognitive thinking fell away. My words were simple, but they were truthful and to the point. She says it was totally perfect, because it was how I felt in the moment." Who knew Emmett could be that deep?

"Edward, I just want to tell you that I am proud of you. We were afraid that you would never snap out of your womanizer, asshole faze and be the gentleman that mom and dad raised us to be. I'm really proud with the way you've handled everything. And I'm very proud with your choice for a wife. Bella is already a sister to me. I'm excited to make it official." Emmett told me, sincerely. I almost felt tears burning the back of my eyes. It was so rare that Emmett was ever this sincere.

"Thank you, Emmett."

"And if you hurt her, I'll disown you adopt her". He said, seriously. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry, mom and dad share your opinion." I laughed. I was enjoying seeing this side of Emmett. And then, the Emmett I knew and loved returned.

"Alright, onto the brotherly 'the many ways to pleasure your wife' talk".

This was going to be a long flight.

We landed and drove straight to the hospital. I had told my parents I was flying home for the weekend to relax a little. I had basically threatened Emmett within an inch of his life to keep this secret. I wanted Bella and I to announce it at Christmas. Carlisle had been surprised to see us, and was suspicious that I wanted to speak to Charlie alone. Emmett and I already had a plan that we would tell Carlisle I needed to speak to him about Bella. Carlisle would drop it after that. As I walked down the corridors to the room where Charlie was, I decided that this was the most nervous I'd ever been. The actual proposal would be a piece of cake in comparison to this. I reached the door, and knocked lightly before he called for me to come in.

"Edward! What are you doing here?" He asked, surprised.

"I was actually wondering if I could take you out of a cup of coffee or something. I wanted to talk to you about something." I managed to hide some of my nervousness.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, alarmed.

"Yes, everything's just fine. I just wanted…your opinion on something. He nodded.

"Alright. I just need to finish up here. I'll meet you over by your dad's office in…20 minutes?" he guessed. I nodded.

"Thank you, Chief Swan. I'll see you then". I said, and began walking back towards my father's office.

Charlie and I were sitting at Starbucks in the back corner. It was quiet, and we were the only ones there. I hadn't wanted to be in public when we did this, but I didn't see any other way.

"Alright Edward, why don't you tell me what it is that you need to talk to me about". Charlie said, radiating "dad" protectiveness. I was sure he was wishing he was in full uniform, including his gun.

"Okay, I'll just…I'll just say it then. Chief Swan, I obviously think that you have a wonderful daughter. I am completely and unconditionally in love with Bella. I'd like to as your permission to ask her to marry me." I said. He looked a little shock for a moment, but recovered quickly, a small smile emerging.

"You know Edward, if you would have asked me before Thanksgiving, I'll be honest with you, I would have thrown a fit. True love is a very rare thing in this world, and a blind man could see that it's what you and Bella possess. I think that once in a lifetime, you find someone that will stand by you always, no matter what, even when you're wrong. Again, you and Bella have that. But most of all, you bring out the best in each other." I nearly laughed at the end.

"Chief Swan. I had the very same thing engraved in her wedding band". I smiled, pulling the ring box out of my pocket. I opened the box, and showed him the inside of the band that said "You Bring Out the Best in Me". Charlie beamed.

"It's perfect, Edward. She'll love it." He said sincerely. I could only smile back.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't answer your question. Yes, Edward, you have my blessing to propose to Bella." He said.

I've never been happier than in this moment.

**Bella's POV**

_Friday December 22, 2010_

We were on the plane, en route to Chicago, and I was snuggled into Edward's chest, completely content. We could stay on the plane the entire weekend, and I would be just fine with that.

"How did your finals go, love?" Edward asked, softly.

"Oh, I don't know. I felt like I could have studied harder, but then I may have sacrified my sanity, so I'm not sure. I think I did decently well on my creative writing final, though. How were your finals?" I asked. He'd told me very little about medical school in the last few months, and it concerned me a little.

"They were fine. I actually only had two finals, the rest of my 'finals' for class were things like volunteer work in a hospital, or projects. Nothing too stressful." He shrugged, pushing my hair away from my shoulders to kiss the hollow beneath my ear.

"How's all that going, by the way? Are you keeping yourself relaxed?" He asked. I giggled.

"I am now. And I guess it was okay at school, but you're right, not seeing you really stresses me out." I admitted.

"You know, I was thinking. Our whole pregnancy scare really brought our relationship into perspective for me. I think it shows the connection we have. We make ourselves physically sick when we can't see each other". He observed. I really loved how he always referred to it as _our_ pregnancy scare, it made me feel like I wasn't alone.

A few hours later, we landed in Chicago, and Edward practically had to drag me to the car. He'd rented a private car and driver for the entire weekend. I was about 2am Chicago time and I could barely keep my eyes open. I never slept well when I was away from Edward, and when I was around him again, all I wanted to do was sleep in his arms. I vaguely remember checking into the hotel and the beautiful suite that was ours for the weekend. I remember Edward helping me undress. I had fallen asleep in his arms, on his bare chest, and slept better that night that I ever had.

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was impossibly bright. Edward had had room service brought up, and fed me breakfast in bed. Afterwards, we laid in bed, enjoying being in each others arms again for quite awhile. Finally, around lunch time, Edward and I got ready and decided to go for a walk. We explored Chicago, had lunch at Navy Pier, walked around Millennium Park, and went to the Shedd Aquarium. Around 5 in the evening, he said we had to get back to the hotel. He showered first and asked me to shower and get ready while he got dressed in the bathroom.

"Wait, Edward. What am I supposed to wear? You have to tell a girl these things, you know!" I scolded, laughing. He smirked.

"There's a dress hanging in the closet for you." He winked.

This was bad news.

**Edward's POV**

As soon as I heard the shower start, I knew I had to leave. I scribbled a note to Bella.

_My dearest Bella,_

_When you are ready, there is a driver in the lobby, named Sam, that will bring you to me. Can't wait to see you. I love you._

_Edward. _

I folded the note in half and slipped it under the bathroom door. I slipped the ring into my pocket, and pulled on my jacket and gloves. I shut the door quietly behind me. I'd hired two drivers for the start of the night. The driver of the town car would take me, and Bella would take a limo. Then, we would both take the limo to the hotel later tonight.

When I arrived, everything looked beyond what I had imagined. A red carpet, littered with white rose petals led into the auditorium. I met the sound technician just inside the auditorium doors. He promised that he was watching security cameras, and once Bella walked in, he would play the CD that I had given him. The CD held songs that made me think of Bella, all carefully timed through dinner so that when "Moon River" came on, I would propose. Half way through the song, the stars above us would read "Will you marry me?" The whole thing was carefully planned and would be just as carefully executed. I looked around the rest of the auditorium. There was a blanket where we would eat our dinner, which was being delivered in about 15 minutes. But more importantly, there were lilies and white roses everywhere. Between the vases of flowers were small tea light candles that illuminated the room. It was right of my dreams. It couldn't be more perfect, it wouldn't be until Bella was here.

The next fifteen minutes passed very quickly. The food had been delivered and was set up on the blanket. All I needed was Bella. Just then, she walked into the room. I was taken aback by her beauty, as always. She looked completely shocked, and she was blushing. I smiled at her.

"Hello." I greeted. She almost looked mad, but she was trying to be mad.

"What the hell is all this? Why did you go through all this trouble for me?" Before she could argue further, I cut her off with a kiss. I drew her into my arms.

"Bella, stop being dramatic. If I want a romantic evening with my girlfriend, that's what's going to happen. Please don't fight it, and just enjoy yourself tonight, okay?" I pleaded. She nodded. I led her over to the pillows and blankets. She was still in awe of her surroundings. We ate nearly in silence, and then I heard it. I almost choked on my food. It was the intro to "Moon River". The waiter cleared our plates immediately and left the auditorium. I stood and reached for her hand.

"Would you like to dance? I believe this is our song". I said. She simply nodded, for which I was grateful. A simple argument could throw the whole thing off. We danced, pressed against each other, and then I heard the first chorus. That was my cue. I stopped dancing, but kept Bella in my arms. I looked up at the stars.

"It's so beautiful". She whispered, in awe. I carefully bent to one knee, and before she noticed, the stars moved to read "Will you marry me". I heard her sharp intake of breath as her hand flew to her throat and she looked down at me, realizing what was going on. I held out the ring in front of me, trying to get myself to speak.

"Isabella Swan. I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I knew I loved you after mere dates. Please, make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?" Tears were steadily streaming down her cheeks, and it took her a moment to answer. She nodded her head furiously, hugging me so tightly we fell to the floor. I felt tears in my eyes as I flipped the engagement ring on her finger. She gasped when she saw it.

"Oh Edward. It's…beautiful". I put my hands on either side of her face and kissed her as deeply as I could. I ran my tongue against her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth immediately. It was the most wonderful kiss of my life. It was my first kiss with my fiancée.

**_Author's Note: Please review and let me know how I did, because I'm not sure I did it justice, although, I don't think any words I have could describe their relationship or their happiness. I hope you've enjoyed it, there's still lots of fun, romance and drama coming. I will post the next chapter this evening for 'ya. Thanks again, so much, for reading! _**


	10. Christmas Eve

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. **

**A/N: So sorry it took me so long to update! I just started my Spring semester of my senior year, I had to do some school stuff, but the updates should be coming more regularly now. Thanks again, so much, to Nicholh2008 again for writing the super-hot lemon, I hope you all enjoy it. Review, please? Also, if you have any trouble/drama ideas, let me know. I have an idea, but I'm still developing it, I'm hoping I'll think of something better. Also, I'm writing an outtake for All is Fair in Love and War, which should be up soon. Thanks again for reading! **

**Bella's POV**

_Sunday December 24, 2010_

Edward and I entered the plane the next morning and I felt like a new woman. I was now Edward Cullen's fiancée. And I couldn't be happier. I'd never felt right just calling him my boyfriend. From the time he pulled all those strings for my dad in the hospital, I knew he was, and always would be, more than that.

Last night was perfect, down to the flowers and dinner, to the song he chose. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked up into the stars, and I didn't till I saw Edward on one knee. We almost made love right there, but we managed to wait till we got back to our room. When we got there, there were at least a thousand candles lit in the bedroom. It was passionate, and full of romance.

I woke up this morning wanting nothing more than to stay in bed, naked with Edward. But no, he had other ideas. So I hatched out a plan. I knew we were going to have uninterrupted time on the trip back, so here we now sitting comfortably, waiting for the captain to tell us it was safe to walk around.

When he did, I made my move. I got up and excused myself to the bathroom. I splashed some water on my face and took deep calming breaths. I looked into the mirror and tried to calm my erratic heart.

"Come on Bella, calm down. It is not a crime to seduce your fiancée, especially if he's all too willing to be seduced." My little pep talked helped, and I pulled out my phone, pulling up a new text before I could lose my nerve. I addressed it to Edward. I tried all morning to think of a sexy line to get him into the bathroom, but nothing sounded good. So I went for simplicity.

_Edward, cum here please – Bella_

I hit send and took calming breaths again. After only a few seconds there was a light knock on the door. The bathroom was large for a private plane, and I had no problem opening the door and stepping back so he could enter.

"Everything alright?" He asked, with a glaze covered look in his eyes. I knew he understood my text. Again, I had to try to hold back my blush.

"Everything is perfect. You know, I've always wanted to join the mile high club." I said, trying hard to keep the blush at bay.

"Oh really?" He said with one eyebrow cocked, all I could do was nod. "I think I can help with that." He closed the distance between us and pushed me against the counter. His lips went to my neck and the licked and nibbled their way up to my ear. "You know, I think I'm the only one in the family who isn't in that club yet." My heart skipped a beat knowing that we were going to experience something new together.

Edward's hands started working on my pants and pulling them down my legs. My shirt went off, followed by his own. His lips found mine in a feverish kiss, while his hands roamed my body. My fingers were playing with the top of his jeans and I felt goose bumps break out across his body.

"Bella, we have to do this quietly, or they'll feel the need to investigate." He whispered against my lips.

"Take off your damn pants." I said. He laughed and shrugged out of his jeans and boxers. He pulled me up to his body and I wrapped my legs around his hips. He moaned as he felt my wet core grind against him. He placed me on the edge of the counter and positioned himself at my entrance.

He didn't need permission anymore, but he locked eyes with me anyways. I saw love, admiration, passion, lust and desire all in one look. His hips thrust forward and buried himself deep inside me, never loosing eye contact.

I brought my hands up to tangle in his air and pulled him to my mouth as his hips started to rock against mine. His hands grasped my hips tighter as his thrusts gained speed and strength. I broke the kiss for much needed air, only it came out as a gasp. His lips attacked my neck and he pounded into me harder.

"Oh god Edward, I'm so close." His hand moved from my hip to where we were connected. His thumb rubbed across my clit and I gasped at the contact. His thumb and forefinger pinched my nub and I felt my walls clamp around his raging hard cock.

"That's right baby, cum for me love." He whispered in my ear. I lost all control of my body; I shook and arched my back, pressing my chest into Edward. I screamed out his name, his lips went to my mouth to keep us from being heard.

"Oh god Edward, I love you."

"I love you too." He pulled out of me, not reaching his climax yet. I looked at him with questioning eyes and his face lit up and his lips formed his crooked grin that I love so much. "Turn around love."

I did as he asked and he kissed my neck. His hands gently pushed my torso down on to the counter, so I was bent over it. His fingers caressed my back and he leaned down and kissed my spine, between my shoulder blades. I jumped a little when I felt his fingers playing with my entrance. His fingers were quickly replaced with the head of his cock. He rubbed himself up and down my entrance gathering up the wetness.

Then with one quick thrust he was filling me up again. I gripped the edge of the counter as he pounded into me from behind. He had one hand on my hip, grasping it hard, and the other rubbing up and down my back.

"Oh god Bella, you feel amazing." His hands grasped my hair, twisting it around his hand. He pulled gently and I moaned in pleasure.

"Well, does my fiancée like it rough?" He asked. I didn't know how to answer so I just kept quiet. He thrust into me harder and faster and I had to bite my lips harder to keep from screaming.

"Oh I think we found something new to toy with love."

His hands gripped my hair tighter and he pounded into me harder. I felt his cock throb inside me and he groaned my name as he released into me. His grip on my hair and hip softened as he rode out his orgasm. When he pulled out of me he spun me around and kissed me passionately.

"God Bella, that was amazing. I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked, breathless.

"No, in fact," I tugged his hair and pulled him closer to my lips. "I rather enjoyed it." He kissed me again and I felt his cock twitch.

"Next time love, speak up. Tell me what you want." he whispered against my lips.

"Edward honey, if I had opened my mouth the captain would have heard me screaming!"

We quietly exited the bathroom, and made our way back to our seats. I sat on his lap, against his chest, and I couldn't stop staring at my ring. Edward kissed my hair.

"What are you thinking about, love?" he asked softly.

"How I am waiting to wake up for all this. I can't believe its real…it's just too perfect".

"Well, we are heading back to my house and Alice is going to find out that I asked for Rose's help shopping for the ring instead of Alice." He offered. I groaned. Edward laughed.

"We'll let her throw us an engagement party and she'll forget all about it" he suggested.

"Good plan!" He was right, if we allowed that, she'd back off.

"Love, how do you want to tell your mom?" he asked after a moment of silence. I froze.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't even think of that!" I cried, my head in my hands. Edward's grip around me tightened.

"Love, calm down." Edward soothed. I did, and thought for a moment.

"I don't know, actually. Originally, I was going to visit her this week, but she and Phil decided to take a vacation, so I wasn't going to see her until Spring Break." I explained.

"Well, we could call and tell her if you want" Edward offered. I shook my head, and twisted to look at him.

"No. I want to tell your family and my dad first. Renee and I really aren't that close. At least, not as close as Charlie and I are". I decided. I felt more like family with Edward's family than with my mom and Phil. Hell, I very rarely called her mom; it was Renee, unless I was speaking directly to her. Maybe it was just from hearing Charlie do it.

Emmett was the one to pick us up at the airport. He was beaming. He enveloped me into a bone crushing hug.

"Welcome to the family, officially, Bella." He said, letting me breathe.

"Okay, enough crushing my fiancée." Edward interceded, taking my hand in his. It was the first time Emmett had really gotten to look at Edward. He raised an eyebrow.

"Welcome to the club, little brother", Emmett laughed, clapping his large hand on Edward's shoulder. Edward winced, but I wasn't entirely convinced it was because Emmett had hurt him.

"What are you talking about?" Edward feigned innocence.

"I'm talking about you two. You want me to come out and say it and embarrass you both?" he threatened. I saw a light blush creep up Edward's neck. I wasn't really embarrassed, as I'd heard some stories about Emmett from Rose. I had nothing to be ashamed of. Not in front of him, at least.

"Fine, whatever. Can we please just go, Emmett?" Edward snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. One of the airport workers had already loaded our baggage into the back of Emmett's car.

"So, have you thought of how you're going to tell the family?" Emmett asked, climbing into the drivers seat. I sat in the back so that Edward could sit with his brother. I rolled my eyes at his question.

"It's going to be fairly obvious, Em". I said, looking down at my ring again. Edward turned in his seat a little to give me a crooked smile.

"You guys are spending tonight with us and then going over to your dad's house later tomorrow for dinner, right?" Emmett clarified with me. I nodded.

"Yeah, that's the plan".

"Did you call anyone to tell them that you're engaged yet?" Edward asked both of us. I shook my head.

"No, I wanted the family to know first". Edward beamed at my response.

"Does anyone suspect anything?" I asked.

They both shook their heads in response.

"No, we're good liars." Emmett laughed.

"But the trip to Chicago…didn't that make anyone question anything?" I asked.

"No, they all assume that we needed some alone time, especially from being apart." Edward soothed.

In no time, Emmett had pulled into the circular driveway of the Cullen house. Edward helped me out of the car, and pulled me into his arms.

"Are you ready?" He whispered, kissing my ear. I could only nod. He wrapped my left hand in his and squeezed it, leading me into the house.

The moment we walked in the door, we were greeted by hugs from the entire family. It was awkward, because Edward would not let go of my hand. Edward ushered the family into the living room, and we all sat down. I sat at the edge of the loveseat, and Edward perched himself on the arm of it, keeping my hand covered. Carlisle kept eyeing our hands, but no one else seemed to think it was weird. I looked up at Edward, and he looked down on me. I waved my hand, motioning for him to announce it. It was his family, so I thought it would be best if he was the one to announce it here, and then I would announce it to my dad.

"Alright, well, I don't know the best way to say this…but, Bella and I are engaged!" He said, completely elated. His smile was crooked, and he was radiating joy. Everyone started screaming at once. Alice tackled me, nearly throwing Edward off the couch. I saw Esme and Carlisle come over to hug Edward.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Alice screamed at Edward, after finally climbing off me. Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. I reached over to take his hand.

"Because, Alice, you would have blown the surprise!" He said through his teeth.

"Alice…"Carlisle warned. She ignored them.

"Thanks a lot Edward. I could have kept the secret." She defended.

"Alice, come on. You would have dragged her shopping, and she would have known something was up. You told Rose Emmett was proposing!" He accused. Alice, Rose and I all blushed simultaneously.

"Yeah, you think Emmett and I are that stupid?" he accused. I jumped in.

"Edward…please stop. Alice, don't be mad, Edward worked hard to make sure that I was surprised. Please don't be mad at us. If you promise to drop this-forgive and forget, Edward and I will let you throw us an engagement party". I pleaded. Her face lit up immediately and she began jumping up and down.

"Really?!?" she bounced over to Edward, and hugged us both before darting from the room, talking inaudibly. Edward laughed, and pulled me against his side. Esme embraced me then.

"Oh Bella, I am so happy for you both." She said, emotion clouding her voice as she kissed my cheek. Carlisle hugged me next.

"Officially welcome to the family, Bella", he said sweetly.

"Thank you," I said softly, wrapping an arm around Edward's waist. Rose and Emmett followed, even though they'd already heard, and then Jasper followed.

Dinner was delicious and we sat around the fire in the living room afterwards, retelling the proposal story. The engagement felt all the more real tonight, and I was the happiest I'd ever been. However, a little voice in my head kept saying "_What goes up must come down_". I couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was going to happen. And judging by the look on Edward's face as he kept glancing at me, he was feeling the same thing.


	11. Returning to Reality

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twlight, although that would be totally sweet if I did! **

**Edward's POV**

_January 15__th__, 2011_

I was back in Boston, without my fiancée, once again. Christmas had gone well, and Charlie was happy about the engagement. Bella had been shocked that I had asked Charlie's permission beforehand. Gauging her reaction when I told her that, I was under the impression Charlie would have had a very different reaction if I hadn't have asked him beforehand, but I was under the impression after talking to Charlie that he would have approved anyway. A few days after Christmas, Bella and I flew down to Phoenix to break the news to Renee and Phil who were both less than thrilled. They didn't say anything to my face, of course, but Bella was very secretive about what was said after I'd left the room, and was clear that she didn't want to talk about it. She went back to school with Alice, and I went back to Harvard.

Alone.

Today would be an interesting day at the hospital. We were getting the spring wave of new interns today. I was standing at the nurse's station, when I watched them walk by. They all looked scared and completely clueless; the same way I looked on my first day only a few months ago. I smiled kindly at them, and the entire group walked over to me, still looking scared. I had to hold back my laughter, they must be lost.

"Excuse me," one of the girls asked, quietly. She reminded me of Alice. "Where is Dr. Knight?" she asked, looking at a sheet of paper. I waved them behind the nurse's station.

"Every day, we post a chart of patients, and where the doctors will be, in case we can't page them for some reason," I explained, pointing at the chart. I found Dr. Knight's name, and showed them that he was stationed in the ER for the day. They all thanked me profusely, and took off down the hallway to the ER.

Later that day, one of the interns from this morning was waiting for lab results. I didn't have any friends here yet, so I decided to introduce myself.

"Hi, I'm Edward", I said, holding out my hand. She smiled and shook it.

"Kate. Nice to meet you, Edward." She said.

"Nice to meet you, Kate," I smiled.

"Are you an intern, too?" she asked, looking relieved when I nodded.

"Yes, I started in the fall. I go to Harvard." I told her, and she smiled.

"Ah, a Harvard man", she laughed. I smiled, trying to think of a way to drop the fact that I'm engaged into the conversation. I didn't want to lead her on. But then I saw a diamond ring on her left hand.

"My fiancé goes to Harvard law," she explained. I nodded.

"I just got engaged, too." I beamed whenever I said that. It was so surreal.

"Congratulations! Give me all the romantic details!" she pleaded. I told her gladly while we waited for our lab results. She almost melted on the spot when I told her how I proposed to Bella. Then, she told me how her fiancé, Tim, proposed.

"There's a restaurant near Chicago," she began explaining, but I cut her off there.

"Wait, you live in Chicago!?"

"Well, that's where I grew up yes", she answered, puzzled.

"That's where I proposed to Bella!"

"No way!" she said, lighting up. It was clear she was proud of her hometown.

"But I'm sorry, please continue your story". I apologized.

"Oh, yes, so there is this restaurant in the suburbs, called Medieval Times. It's this big castle restaurant, and it's really realistic and a lot of fun. You have dinner and watch a jostling match and everything. So anyway, Tim knew that this was my favorite place, so we had dinner, and then he said he had a phone call from work-he had to go straighten some things out. So, then this fight happens, and my favorite knight, the green knight, won. They all go backstage to take off their armor and come back out. The green knight came back out, riding a white horse, holding a microphone. He galloped over to where I was sitting, and it was only then that I realized who it was and what he was doing. I was completely shocked-he gave this wonderful speech about how much he loved me, and then proposed. Totally perfect". She gushed.

Wow. Isn't that a little…lame? Oh well, she was happy, well, more than happy, Kate looked elated, even. That was all that mattered.

_January 30, 2011_

Kate and I were fast friends. We even talked about wedding plans together. It was so great to finally have a friend here. Bella was thankful for her, too. I wasn't as miserable with a friend around. I'd even met her fiancé a few times and we had made plans to double date the next time Bella came to town, which would be the first week of March, for her Spring Break. Originally, she was going to come here for Valentine's Day, but unfortunately, I had to work, along with Kate. Bella was a good sport about it, and even said she'd drive up to hang out with Tim a little bit. Kate and I had both laughed at that. I was so thankful for someone as understanding as Bella was. In the medical field, I knew up front that it would be tough. I would have to leave dates and family things early, and break a lot of promises. Bella always understood. She was never mad or jealous.

**Bella's POV**

_February 13__th__, 2011 (Thursday) _

I was so relieved when Edward had called me to tell me he'd made friends with another intern named Kate. I'm not going to lie, I was even more relieved when he told me she had just recently gotten engaged. I was so bummed when Edward told me he had to work for Valentine's Day, but I decided that this was my turn to surprise him. I decided that I would drive up tomorrow, which was Valentine's Day and surprise him at work. I quickly did laundry, and had Alice help me pick out some sexy lingerie and a nice dress. I wasn't sure how much time we would have, but I didn't care. I hadn't seen my fiancé in almost two months. I was impatient. I decided to skip class altogether tomorrow so I could get there sooner.

_Friday, February 14, 2011_

I was so excited. I was in the car, driving to Boston. It was a perfect driving day. I had the music all the way up, and felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Alice. I turned down the music and answered.

"Hey Ali!"

"How's the drive going?" she asked.

"Good! I'm so excited!" I squealed.

"Alright, well, call me when you get there?" she asked.

"Sure thing. I'll call you when I get to the hospital." I promised.

"Be safe, Bella." She said, seriously.

That was weird.

I finally pulled into the hospital Edward was interning at. He'd called about 45 minutes ago, just before he was starting his shift. He was working in the ER tonight. I parked in the visitors section of the emergency room parking lot, and checked myself quickly in the visor mirror, fixing my hair and touching up my makeup.

I walked into the emergency room and told the nurse who I was. She smiled.

"So you are the famous Bella soon to be Cullen!" she exclaimed. I blushed and nodded.

"Oh dear, I've heard so much about you, I feel like I already know you!" she exclaimed. I blushed again. I smiled back at her.

"Just through those doors dear. You can ask for him at the nurse's station and they can have him paged for you. Oh, he's going to be so glad to see you!"

What on earth has he been saying about me?

I walked through the double doors, and saw him, but what I saw made me freeze. Edward was clutching a blonde woman's shoulders, and they were kissing. I couldn't watch anymore. I backed up, and ran from the doors I came through. I made it outside before I doubled over, sobbing, and vomited. I wiped my mouth, and made it back to the car, still sobbing. I called Alice's number, she picked up on the 2nd ring.

"Thank God, you made it okay!" she breathed in relief.

"A-Alice". I choked.

"Bella? What's wrong?" she asked, panicked. It took me a good ten minutes to spit out the story. I was just confused. Edward wouldn't do that to me.

Or would he?

He was quite the womanizer when I first met him. Maybe he'd gotten sick of the commitment thing? I mean, he had given up that lifestyle quickly and without second thoughts or any slip ups. Maybe he just needed one last fling before we got married?

Either way, it hurt like hell.

I sobbed out the story to Alice, who cried along with me, only her tears were pure anger at her brother.

"Bella, honey, calm down. Take deep breaths". She instructed, I could tell she was trying to push away her anger for my benefit. I listened, breathing deeply to calm down. I was still crying now, but it was softly, the angry slowly overtaking the overwhelming feeling of my broken heart. I sniffed.

"Alright, I think that I'm just going to drive back, Alice. I'll be late getting in, don't wait up. I'll wake you up when I get there". I told her, starting my car.

"Bella, no. Why don't Jasper and I drive out there and get you, or we can fly there…better yet, drive to New York, see Emmett and Rose? Emmett would be all too willing to drive out there and kick Edward's ass for you. Hell, if my parents find out, they'll disown him and adopt you." I giggled. They'd told me that many times before. I was calming down now, slowly.

"That's a good idea. I'll drive to New York. Rose and Emmett can help me figure this out". I said, more to myself than to Alice.

"Yes, and Jasper and I will fly out there, and then we can all drive back together. The city is about four hours from Boston, do you need directions?"

"Nope, I know the area well enough", I sniffed, focusing now on driving.

As I was pulling out of the parking lot, the woman that I had just seen kissing Edward strolled out the doors. And then the tears started all over again. She looked so…happy.

I was pulling onto the expressway, trying desperately to call myself down. I knew I had to stop crying and focus on driving. It was pouring down rain now, and between my tears, the rain, and the ice already on the road, I couldn't see a damn thing. Before I could react, my car began spinning, and before I could comprehend what was happening and regain control it flipped. And then there was darkness.

**Edward's POV**

I was on ER duty today. I'd called Bella earlier to let her know I was starting my shift, and she was excited about something, but I couldn't tell what. I was too tired to ask, too. I was up late studying, I had a big test on Monday. I was making a few notes in a patient's chart when Kate came up to me.

"Hey, Edward", she said, placing a hand on my arm.

"Hey, Kate. How's it going?" I asked, not looking up at her, still writing. I wasn't really in the mood to be social today. All I wanted was Bella. It was my first Valentine's Day being engaged and I couldn't even spend it with my fiancée. Why did I pick Harvard again?

Kate kept chattering about something, I didn't care what, I just kept nodding my head and glancing over to her periodically so she'd think I was listening. Then, she reached up and stroked my cheek, her other hand pushing back my hair. I cringed. Bella did that. Not her. That was Bella's move to de-stress me.

Suddenly, something changed, and her behavior indicated that she was no longer just my friend. Before I could be a gentleman and remind her that I was happily engaged, she kissed me. I tried to pull away, but she tightened her hold, placing both hands on the back of my neck to hold my head. I wrapped my fingers around her upper arms and tried to pull her off.

We were in the middle of the ER! What the hell did she think she was doing?

I was finally able to pry her off me.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" I exclaimed. She smiled smugly.

"See? I knew you wanted me." She said. I was completely flabbergasted.

"No. We're friends. I'm engaged to Bella. I am going to marry her. I will only love her." I think everyone at this hospital, except for Kate apparently, knew that. I talked about Bella every chance I got. And what was Kate doing? She was engaged, too! I groaned, thinking of how I was going to tell Bella that Kate kissed me. On Valentine's Day.

Kate walked away from me then, which was probably a good thing. I turned around to see several nurses staring at me, their mouths hanging open. I was completely humiliated. Suddenly, I felt a surge of hatred for Kate. None of the nurses here would ever respect me, again. They all knew about Bella, and most of all, they all knew about the engagement.

An hour later, I was still fuming. I had to check up on a few patients, and I was walking back down to the ER when a nurse named Nancy stopped me. I liked Nancy. She was a triage nurse in the ER, and worked on admitting patients into the ER. She was the mother figure around her, and I had gushed to her about Bella on several occasions.

"Dr. Cullen! How's that beautiful fiancée of yours?" she asked. I gave her a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Your Bella. She found you, didn't she?" she asked. I shook my head.

"What? No, Bella is in New Hampshire. I just talked to her a few hours ago before starting my shift." I corrected her. Maybe she was going crazy. She always gave me the patients named "Isabella".

"No, Bella was here, about an hour ago. She's gorgeous. Exactly how you described."

"No, I'm sorry, you must be mistaken." She paused.

"I heard you were kissing someone in the ER! I sent her back there when she asked where you were!" she exclaimed. So now Kate was telling the nurses we were engaged? That was crossing the line. I didn't have the nerve to tell her the woman that was kissing me was not Bella. I didn't want a lecture, even though I'm sure I deserved one. I was needing Bella's voice, but I knew that this was big, and I wanted to discuss it with her in person. Maybe I'd just drive out there tonight, call in sick here for a few days. Bella was more important than school and my internship combined, and this had to be talked about carefully.

As my day progressed, Alice kept calling me, and I was getting annoyed. I kept hitting "ignore" on her phone calls. Part of me was crazy annoyed with her for calling so much, but another, larger part of me had a gut feeling something was wrong.

**Alice's POV**

I am going to kill my brother, bring him back to life to clean up the mess, and then kill him again. I had just gotten off the phone with Bella, after deciding to fly to meet Bella in New York. I called Rose, only giving her the minimal details, and she was just as pissed as I was. We both agreed to let Bella tell Emmett, neither one of us wanted to be on the receiving end of an Emmett freakout that was intended for Edward. Jasper walked in the room then.

"Baby? What's wrong?" He ran to my side, kneeling in front of me, placing his hands on my bare knees. "Honey, talk to me. You're white as a ghost".

"Edward cheated on Bella." I told him, still stunned. It was so not Edward! Edward had changed; I'd seen it with my own eyes. Jasper's jaw dropped, just as shocked as I was.

"We're going to fly to New York to see her, she's driving to Rose and Emmett's now, she didn't want to stay in Boston for another minute, not that I blame her".

"Did she talk to Edward?" He asked, still shocked. I shook my head.

"I don't think so. She said she caught the two of them kissing, and she just left." I explained.

"There has to be an explanation, Edward wouldn't do that." He defended. I jumped up, and completely lost it.

"Well he fucking did, Jasper. And now my best friend is broken hearted and crying. And he will have to answer to me. I will hitchhike to Boston if I have to. He will be four different kinds of sore when I'm through with him. Jasper looked surprised at my outburst, but didn't say anything further. He just nodded.

About an hour later, I was finishing packing my things when my cell phone rang.

_Dad. _Dad? What the hell was he calling me for?

"Hello?" I answered, slightly worried. You know when you just know it's a bad phone call? That's how I felt.

"Alice?" he choked. Wait, my dad was crying? This was definitely bad. I wonder if he heard about Edward and Bella. Although, I don't know how he would have known, Bella wouldn't have called. Unless Edward talked to Bella and called Carlisle upset.

"Daddy?! What's wrong?" A very large part of me told me that I didn't want to know.

"Sweetheart, I'm here with Charlie. He just…he got a call. From a hospital outside Boston. It's Bella. She. She's been in a pretty serious car accident". He choked out. I nearly dropped the phone. I didn't know what to do.

"Sweetheart?" Carlisle asked, clearly upset. The tears began to fall then.

"Daddy…how bad?" I asked, choking back tears.

"They couldn't give us many details over the phone, Ali, but the jet is coming to get us. She was taken to a Boston hospital, but luckily not the one Edward works at, and she's being airlifted to one in New York. Can you call Emmett and Rose? I need to get Charlie, your mother, and myself to the airport quickly". He practically begged. I nodded, but then realized he couldn't see me through the phone.

"Okay, Dad." I agreed.

"Alice, don't call Edward yet. I will call him when we know more. I've already checked-the hospital she was brought to was not the one he's interning at. I don't want him to worry until we have to. What was she even doing in Boston? I spoke with Edward earlier, and he didn't tell me that she was coming," he explained in a concerned voice.

"Don't you dare tell him a damned thing, dad. I don't want him coming to the hospital to upset Bella further! It's his fault she-she-" I couldn't say the words. "It's his fault! Do you know why Bella was in Boston? Because she knew how stressed he was, so she skipped class today, and drove out there. She gets there to see him liplocked with some slut!" I screamed. My dad must have been stunned, because he didn't speak for a moment.

"Alice, listen to me, I'm with Charlie", he clearly couldn't talk about his, we didn't want to upset Charlie further. "I do have to go now, but I will keep you updated if I hear anything. Why don't you and Jasper drive out to New York. And don't forget to call Rosalie and Emmett. If Edward calls, don't answer. I will be the one to talk to him". He was clearly pissed at Edward.

Good.

I found Jasper downstairs, and he knew something was wrong the moment he looked at me. I must have looked like I was ready to fall to pieces in a split second, because he took me in his arms immediately.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, soothingly.

"Bella" I choked out. He stiffened. He loved Bella just as much as the rest of us. We were family.

"What happened?" he asked, pulling away slightly, leading me to the couch to sit, and probably fearing that I would fall over. I was swaying on my feet.

"She was in an accident. She was first taken to a Boston hospital, but then airlifted to one in New York city, we need to get there. NOW." Jasper nodded.

One of the many things I love about Jasper? He's able to stay calm and think clearly in stressful situations.

"Okay, since she's being airlifted, it probably means she'll be in the hospital, and then rehab for awhile. Why don't you got to her room and get her something that will comfort her?" he suggested. Genius. You see? This is why I love this man. I ran upstairs, grabbed Bella's duffel and threw in her favorite books, a few sets of pajamas. And this is how much I love her. I even packed a few pairs of sweatpants and sweatshirts, carefully avoiding the sweatshirts of Edward's that she was holding hostage. I zipped up the bag, and grabbed my duffel from my bedroom, and tossed them down the stairs. I grabbed my purse from the room, and when I got back downstairs, Jasper had already loaded everything in his car. I grabbed a few snacks from the kitchen, and we began the very long drive to New York, praying that Bella would be okay the entire ride.

**A/N: Alright, I know you hate me, but I did this for a reason. I PROMISE you, Bella will not die. I picked these specific events for a reason, which you will find out about in the next chapter, which will be up tomorrow. Bella and Edward have had an amazing relationship so far, but it needs to be tested, or both of them would have had doubts and cold feet, leading to someone getting left at the alter, which no one wants. We need to see how Bella and Edward can work through conflict and hard times as a couple. :) So, please don't hate me, but please do review. If 'ya do, maybe I'll give you a little quote or something from the next chapter, which will, once again, be posted tomorrow. Thanks again for the support and love so far. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, or if you want to know why I did this, and you can't wait for answers, I'll be happy to explain. **


	12. Chaos

**Quick A/N: First of all, thanks to Nicholh2008 who helped me come up with this test of Edward and Bella. :) You rock. Sorry I forgot to mention you last chapter.**

**This is only part one, part two will be up in a few hours. It was so long, I didn't want to make you keep waiting. I'm not proud of this, I kept re-writing, but I'm still not happy with it. Please review anyway, though. This part changed POV a lot, sorry about that. Thanks guys, sorry to keep you waiting, but to apologize, I'll update a lot this weekend. **

**Alice's POV**

I finally calmed down enough to call Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie sobbed, and Emmett was pissed. Pissed in the sense that he somehow contacted my father ON THE PLANE to tell him to let him handle Edward. As of now, the plan was that Jasper and I would drive to Rose and Emmett's. Once my parents and Charlie landed, Emmett would turn around and fly to Boston to personally deliver the news to Edward. After Bella's accident, no one wanted him to drive upset.

Charlie and my parents were going straight to the hospital from the airport, and Emmett and I were there waiting for them. We had decided, well, I had decided that I would go straight to the hospital with them, and Rose and Jasper would wait to pick up Emmett and Edward when they landed. I was still so mad at Edward I was shaking, it really wouldn't be a good idea for us to be in an enclosed space together, especially when I had no idea what was happening with my best friend. Carlisle drove, and spent the better deal of the drive on the phone. From what I gather, he'd left out the part about Edward's slut to Charlie. For Charlie's sake, I was thankful, but a small part of me wished that someone would kick Edward's ass. I never expected it would be Carlisle. Since he was such a prominent doctor in Seattle, he was able to get rights in New York as well. Apparently, one of Carlisle's friends from med school was the chief of surgery at the hospital Bella was taken, and had taken over Bella's case, which made all of us feel much better. The moment we arrived, my dad and Charlie went off to find Bella. My mom and I had to wait in the waiting room. She had been silent for the better part of the trip, crying softly.

"Mom? What the hell is going on?"I hissed.

"Dad and I couldn't tell Charlie about the fact that Bella was upset with Edward, which is why she probably got into the accident in the first place. He wants us to page him when Edward gets here. He wants to talk to him". I sat back on the uncomfortable plastic chair. I knew that there would be a long line of people to "talk" to Edward, and that was the only thing that could remotely comfort me right now.

**Emmett's POV**

I couldn't sit still on the short, 20 minute plane ride to Boston. I was so angry, I was seething. I kept trying to figure out what I was going to say or do once I saw him, but nothing I thought of was appropriate for his place of work.

The plane finally landed, and the taxi I had called before take off was there waiting. I jumped in and gave the driver the address of the hospital. On the way, I tried hard to calm myself down. Just then, I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a text from my wife.

_Hey hubby-_

_Please stay calm and let him explain before you beat him up? For Bella?_

_-Love you. Rose_

I sighed, taking a deep breath. Rose was right. We shouldn't jump to conclusions. Edward must have an excuse. There must be an excuse, because if not, he would be sorry.

Wait, what am I talking about? This is Edward. Edward and Bella. There must have been some kind of mistake. Edward wouldn't have ever cheated on Bella. I'll be the first to admit, before he met Bella, Edward was a complete man whore. Bella saved him. I'd owe her forever for that. Whether he cheated on her or not, although, I know deep down that he didn't cheat on her. But I did know that he was going to be devastated. I decided right then that I wouldn't tell him until we were alone on the plane. I didn't want him to break down in front of his superiors, co-workers and patients.

I walked into the ER, and went through the doors. The nurses must have seen my upset facial expression, because no one questioned who I was here to see. The nurse's station was just ahead.

"Excuse me," I asked a nurse that was typing on a computer. She looked up at me and smiled. She reminded me of my mother. "I'm looking for my brother, Edward Cullen. Could you page him for me? It's rather urgent". She smiled and nodded, and I heard the page on the loudspeakers. Edward appeared about five minutes later, looking awful.

"Emmett?! What are you doing here?" he asked, panic already in his voice.

"We need to leave, can you get a few days off?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.

"No, I can't." he said, stubbornly. "I can't just take a few days off for no reason, Emmett". He snapped. I rolled my eyes. He was spending too much time with Bella.

"Edward," I said, my voice more serious, "would you change your answer if I asked you to just trust me?" I asked you. He looked at me for a moment.

"Emmett, this isn't college. This isn't some class I can skip and get notes from someone". He snapped. I rolled my eyes again.

"Alright, I'm sorry, my mistake. Let me rephrase. You are coming with me, do whatever you need to clear yourself for at least 3 days, maybe more. We'll get more information in a few hours." I said firmly. He looked at me for a moment, trying to figure out how to get out of this. Clearly, he didn't want to tell me something.

"Look, Em, I'm sorry, but I can't. Something happened and I need to drive to New Hampshire to tell Bella". I winced at his explanation, and he noticed.

"Look, Edward. Just please?" I couldn't hold back my worry any longer, and he caught sight of the tears in my eyes. He grew worried again.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"Edward, we could have been there by now, now let's go. Please!" I shouted, completely fed up with him. He only nodded, and jogged off down a hallway, to the locker room, I assume. Well, he must have bought it, but he obviously didn't know anything was up with Bella yet, because he didn't seem that worried. He was back out, changed, in no time, carrying a shoulder bag. He handed a note to the nurse and followed me to the parking lot, and we slid back into the cab, which headed back to the airport.

"Emmett, you are really scaring me, what's going on? Is it dad?" he asked, worried.

"No, I'll explain everything on the plane, I promise", I said quickly, pulling out my cell phone to send a mass text to everyone that I had Edward, and we were near the airport. We'd be back in the city in 45 minutes tops. The poor jet was going to need a small vacation after all this today.

**Edward's POV**

I'm really annoyed with Emmett right now. He basically dragged me out of work, without any explanation. I was a little worried, but not too badly, because Emmett didn't look sad or anything, he looked annoyed and angry. As soon as the pilot shut the door though, his facial expression shifted to one of worry.

"Emmett, please tell me before I go insane". I snapped. It was then that I noticed the tears, and something in my heart told me that things were not going to be okay.

"Alright, Edward, there's no easy way to tell you this, I guess. But Bella was in a pretty serious car accident today." My heart plummeted to the ground, over a mile beneath us. I couldn't breathe, I was in shock. I just stared, unable to move, think or cry.

My Bella? Car accident?

I lost it when Emmett put a hand on my shoulders. I started sobbing, and fell off the couch and onto the ground. The pain was nearly unbearable. I couldn't imagine my life without her.

"How bad?" I asked, not wanting to know the answer.

"I don't know anything. I only know that she was airlifted to a hospital in New York".

I didn't understand that. There were plenty of hospitals near New Hampshire. Why would they need to airlift her all the way to New York? Of course, I knew the answer to that, being in medical school.

She must have a unique injury that could be better treated at a New York hospital.

**Alice's POV**

Waiting for word on Bella was torture. Charlie had come to sit with us, because the doctors had kicked him out of the room to fill out lots of insurance forms. Tears silently streaked down his face. He tugged his baseball hat lower on his head to hide them, but I saw them anyway. I had gotten a text message from Emmett to say that he had Edward, and they were on their way. I was about to respond to the message when my dad and another doctor walked out. I didn't like the look on their faces. My mom, Charlie and I all stood, arms linked around each other.

"This is Dr. Anderson. He is the Chief of Surgery here, and an old friend of mine. Mark, this is my daughter Alice, wife Esme, and you've met Charlie." Carlisle introduced. Dr. Anderson shook each of our hands, and motioned for us to sit back down. They sat across from us. This definitely did not look good.

"I'm just going to be straight with you, because I do not like to sugar coat things. Bella has been somewhat conscious for most of her time here. She fades in and out a lot. We've ran MRI's, and her brain is swelling, but not too badly yet, we'll need to monitor it. Most of her injuries were internal, no emergent surgery will be needed, but because of her injuries, we need to induce a coma to allow her brain to heal to minimize brain damage."

They wanted to intentionally put my best friend in a coma? I looked over, and saw the tears running faster down Charlie's cheeks. My mom grasped his hand in hers, and I suddenly was painfully aware that Jasper wasn't here. Why did I have to let him stay with Rose?

To calm Edward down, that's why.

As much as I blamed my brother for this right now, I knew deep down that it was an accident. He would never intentionally hurt Bella. I didn't want him to be hurting, and I knew that he would take the blame for this, whether he vocalized it or not.

"Guys, I know this is scary, but it will minimize brain damage. She needs to heal, and Bella is too stubborn to fall asleep and do this herself." He explained, trying to calm us. None of this was making any sense to me.

"So, she's awake right now?" I asked. They both nodded.

"Yes and no, it's slightly confusing." Dr. Anderson said, looking to Carlisle.

"If we induce a coma, we'll need to put her on a ventilator". My anger was growing. Why couldn't doctors speak in normal English? Just tell me if I can see my friend!

"Dad, I don't care. Can we see her before you induce the coma?" I asked, exasperated.

"No, Ali, I'm sorry. Bella's body is under high stress, and we're still trying to determine the extent of her injuries." My dad explained, looking just as upset as we were.

"Why can't I see her?" I demanded, tears running down my face, as well. My dad came over and took me in his arms.

"Alice, she's just been in a traumatic car accident. She needs to rest. She'll be better soon, and you can see her later after we've stabilized her and moved her to a room."

"You mean she's not stable yet?" my mom interjected.

"No, she is still in critical condition". Dr. Anderson answered. My mom was still very upset. Something dawned on Charlie then. He looked at my parents in horror.

"Oh, no. Renee! Someone needs to call Renee!" he said. My dad nodded.

"Charlie, it's okay, I will call Renee. I saw her number in Bella's phone. I'll call her. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Carlisle", Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.

We asked a few more questions, but my dad and Dr. Anderson walked away leaving us with more questions than we had started with and zero answers. I felt defeated. I needed Jasper. It suddenly occurred to me that the last place I wanted to be was Edward's shoes.

Edward, Emmett, Rose and Jasper ran through the doors just after Charlie left to get something to eat at my dad's insistence. Edward ran straight into my mom's arms and sobbed. It looked like she was trying to hold him up, because Emmett ushered them into the far corner of the waiting room to sit down. I stayed where I was, and Jasper wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I leaned into him, trying to infuse some strength. I didn't know how I was going to get through the next few days.

**Edward's POV**

Esme held me until I calmed down. Esme called Alice over.

"Alice, will you go get your father from the cafeteria? He wanted to speak with Edward." She asked, calmly. I was still in a complete daze.

"Have you heard anything new?" I sniffed. She nodded sadly.

"Your dad will be up shortly to explain it to you. Hopefully you'll understand it better than Alice, Charlie and I did, and then you can explain it to us," she said, giving me a sad smile. I nodded. I couldn't really focus on her words though. I felt intoxicated, almost.

"Mama, please tell me this is a nightmare," I said, pressing my forehead into her shoulder. She ran a hand through my hair, and kissed the top of my head.

"She'll be just fine, sweetheart." She tried to reassure me, but it didn't work.

My dad asked me to follow him to his office, alone. That wasn't good. I couldn't think about all this. I needed someone to help me sort this out. I needed Bella. I sat in one of the leather seats facing his desk, and he sat behind it.

"Edward, have you talked to Alice?" he asked, stapling his fingers together. I shook my head.

"Good. Look, what I am going to tell you can never get back to Charlie, alright?"

I nodded. I was not capable at speech at this point.

"Edward, son, I don't even know how to broach this subject with you, but can you tell me why you were kissing someone at work today?" I was angry instantly. Why was this an issue? And more importantly, how the fuck did he find that out?

Oh no. One of his friends must have seen us. Shit.

"Dad, can we talk about that later? I need to know about Bella". He hesitated, but then nodded, but I didn't hear a word after he said "induced coma".

I felt like I was missing something big.

"Edward, please don't blame yourself." My head snapped up to look at him. Normally, he would have hit the nail right on the head, because I almost always found a way to somehow blame myself. But, this time, I didn't. Not yet actually. But I figured that would changed, based on the look across his face.

"Dad, please stop beating around the bush and just tell me." I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Well, she got in that accident on her way back from Boston".

My heart stopped, my vision blurred, and my hearing muffled. Bella…Boston…oh no. I jumped out of my seat, and ran back to the waiting room where Alice was. If Bella had been in Boston, Alice knew about it. I ran over to hear, sure that there was steam coming out of my ears.

"What the FUCK was Bella doing in Boston?" I screamed at her. My mom's eyes grew wide. I didn't care.

"What the FUCK were you doing with your tongue down some other girl's throat, on VALENTINE'S DAY, in the middle of the ER?!" she yelled back.

I was sure at that moment there was no blood in my face. I was cold.

No, no, no. This was not happening.

Bella had seen Kate kiss me, but probably had not seen me push her away. My Bella, probably crying, driving back, too upset to be driving.

So it _was_ my fault.


	13. Aftermath

**A/N: Alright, as promised, here's part two. Enjoy. I'm more confident with this one. Next chapter will be up sometime tomorrow. Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Oh, and disclaimer-I don't own Twilight. **

**Edward's POV**

I had a broken heart. My Bella didn't deserve this, I did. I deserve to be the one in that hospital bed. It had been three torturous, long days since the accident. My entire family was angry with me, and I didn't blame them. My dad had asked to see me in his office again, and I was walking down the long corridors of the hospital. I found his door open, he was typing on his laptop. He saw me and waved me in, motioning for me to sit.

"Edward, you know we have to talk", he said calmly.

About what? How I'm an asshole? Sure.

"Sure dad. Talk". I said it a little sharper than I had wanted. He didn't speak for a moment; he was choosing his words carefully.

"Edward, you are my son and I love you. No matter how stupid you are, I love you. But Edward, I've been angry with you, and I've been disappointed in you. But this is the first time that I'm ashamed of you."

I think it would have been more humane if he would have taken me out back and shot me.

"Edward, before you met Bella, you were not the man that your mother and I raised you to be. Don't even argue with me. We know that you partied and slept around. We hoped that your stupidity was just a part of college, and you'd someday grow up. Then, Bella was an answer to our prayers. You finally began behaving the way we taught you." Tears were cascading down my cheeks now. I felt the lowest I'd ever felt. I had hit rock bottom, I was sure of it. "I want to know how you plan on fixing this."

The dam I had been holding broke then.

"I. Don't. Know", I sobbed, putting my head in my hands. Carlisle made no move to comfort me. I didn't deserve it.

"Edward, calm down. Let's discuss this like adults". He had zero patience with me at this point. It took me a few minutes, but I finally calmed down. I took a deep breath.

"Why don't you start by telling me the truth, Edward". He prompted.

"I had to work on Valentine's Day. Originally, I was going to drive up to Dartmouth to spend it with her, but I had to work. I'd become quick friends with Kate, another intern. She had just gotten engaged as well." I wiped the tears off my face before continuing. "We talked about our fiancée's, and even made plans to double date when Bella came to town. I was at the nurse's station, and she came over to me. She kissed me, and I tried to pull her off me, but Alice said Bella must have just seen the kiss, and my arms around her upper arms. She didn't see me pry her off and yell at her". I had to take a few more deep breaths to keep from crying. My dad just stared at me for a long time, trying to figure out how honest I was being, I guess.

"Let's say that I do believe you. You are still not handling this the way I raised you. It's not about the mistakes you make, it's about how you fix them, Edward." He scolded.

"Since you arrived in this hospital, you've made this whole ordeal about you, and making people feel sorry for you. This is about Bella. Stop being selfish. I am going to be blunt here, but if you can't put Bella first now, you have no business getting married. Marriage has no room for selfishness. So, if you are going to continue to act like this, do us all a favor. Do Bella a favor and end this engagement right here, right now."

This statement launched me into a full scale panic attack. The walls closed in on me, and I couldn't breathe. He wanted me to leave Bella. I wouldn't survive that. He couldn't mean that! No. This wasn't happening. This was a nightmare. My life felt like it was ending. My dad handed me a paper bag, and I breathed into it. It took me about ten minutes to return to breathing normally. I looked up at him, and finally, it all made sense, making the tears come again.

Of course he was right.

When I started getting upset not ten minutes ago, all my thoughts were on me. I didn't think about what was best for Bella. I didn't even think about what she would maybe want. He was exactly right, I was being selfish and immature. Before I could tell him this, he sat down beside me.

"Edward, like I said, I love you. You are my son. You've done a lot recently that I'm proud of. You are only human, you make mistakes. You need to prove to her that you are ready for this step in your relationship when she wakes up. She's probably going to be angry, and you need to give her time." He explained, calmer now. I nodded in agreement.

**Bella's POV**

Things were fuzzy. I tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn't open. I heard a faint beeping noise in the background. I knew that sound, but I couldn't place it. I was disoriented. And in a lot of pain. I was sore, and hurt in places that I didn't know existed. I heard a few people talking. Their voices were familiar but I couldn't place them, either. I was frustrated. Then, I heard them call my name, and squeezed both my hands. I squeezed back. There was commotion, and then, suddenly, I was relaxed. I felt drugged. Finally, I managed to flutter my eyelids, and then opened them. It wasn't as bright as it felt earlier. My dad's face appeared over mine. He looked distraught.

"Daddy?" My voice was weak, too. He cupped my cheek.

"I'm here baby, I'm so glad you're okay". He said, a tear slipping down his cheek.

"What-What happened?" I asked, a little stunned. I looked around trying to figure out where I was.

"You were in a car accident, Bella," he said, sadly. "You had gone to visit Edward for the weekend…" he trailed off. Then, I began to get flashes. Kate. The ER. The nurse. Edward kissing a woman. The accident. The car flipping. The tears began to fall as I remembered.

"Baby, I'm going to go get Carlisle. Should I send Alice in?" He asked, brushing hair away from my face. I nodded. Alice.

Not long after he left, Alice ran into the room, and hugged me.

"Oh Bella, don't scare me like that again!" she cried into my shoulder. I tried to hug her back, but my arms felt anchored down.

"Sorry Ali, I can't move my arms, they hurt", I frowned. She stepped back, taking my hand in hers, and sinking into the chair behind her. She brushed her tears away with her free hand.

"Bella, do you remember…everything?" she asked, carefully. I nodded.

"I'm sorry, Bella", she said, sincerely. I nodded again. "Me too," I whispered.

She ran her fingers through my hair.

"That little prick is going to want to see you when he gets wind that you're awake". She snarled. My eyes widened at her. She was pissed.

"I can't believe he did that. I haven't barely spoken to him since he got here". She growled. Oh no, so he was here?

"He's here?" I asked, my voice almost scared. She nodded.

"I can have Emmett escort that two timing ass out of this hospital if you want". I laughed then, but it hurt real bad.

"Alice, I like you bitter and pissed off. You're almost normal now," I teased, and she laughed.

"Oh Bella, I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried." She cried. Before I could respond, Carlisle walked back through the door smiling.

"Alice, could we have a moment alone, please?" he asked, setting a chart on my tray table. She nodded, kissed my cheek and left the room, shutting the door behind her. I turned back toward Carlisle, who was smiling.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Bella", he sighed, putting a hand over mine. I smiled. Even that hurt.

"Do you remember all that happened Bella?" he asked. The compassion on his face told me he knew all about the girl. I nodded sadly, tears falling. Carlisle wiped them away.

"Then before I say anything further, we've kept the Edward…incident, away from Charlie. I didn't think you would want your dad to know about that." I smiled in gratitude.

"I've talked to Edward, Bella, and he feels awful. I've yelled at him, and I know it's not my place, but that girl, Kate, kissed him. He said he pushed her away and yelled at her."

"Carlisle, thank you for doing that, but I can't get over this. I'm ashamed to say it, but part of me wasn't surprised when I saw them kissing. I don't know, I do trust him, or at least I did, but I'm just so confused. A week ago, I was the happiest person in the world. And now…look at me…" I began crying again. Carlisle pulled me into a hug.

"Do you want to see him, Bella?" he asked. I thought for a moment, and nodded. I wanted to get this over with.

"Alright, I'll go get him. But," he pointed to a button on the guardrail of my bed. "you call a nurse if he starts to upset you". He instructed. I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Carlisle, for everything." He just nodded and left. I took deep breaths. What the hell was I going to say to Edward? Did I forgive him? No, not really. But I wanted to. I wanted this whole thing to be a misunderstanding. But maybe it's good this happened, we need to deal with this fear of mine. I had been waiting for it to happen.

The moment Edward walked in, he began to cry. I gave him a sad smile, and scooted over in the bed, patting the space next to me. He crawled into bed, and cried into my shoulder. I was still pissed as hell at him, but he was in pain, and I needed to push away my issues to be there for him. I held him the best I could, despite the pain and soreness.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," he sobbed. I didn't tell him it was okay, because I wasn't sure that it was yet.

"Edward, we have a lot to talk about, but I don't want to do it now. I need to rest". I felt bad making this about me, but I was so tired. I didn't feel good. Whatever drugs they were giving me were making me sick. He cupped my cheek in his hand.

"I love you, Bella." He said. I thought for a moment, and he winced at my hesitation.

"I love you too, Edward. But sometimes, love just isn't enough." I said honestly.

The look on his face told me I had been too honest.


	14. Making Up

**Author's Note: I'm so, so sorry that I didn't get this to you sooner!! This semster is kicking my butt already. Hopefully, I can fall back into a regular writing schedule and write once a day. Hopefully, this is the chapter you've all been begging for with your reviews. Let me know what you thought. :) Thanks guys. Also, thanks to Nicholh2008 for helping me write the lemon that's in this chapter. :) She's awesome. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. **

**Bella's POV**

Visiting hours were over. I was thankful. I needed time to think. I loved Edward, with all my heart, but seeing him kiss her…it had confirmed all my worst nightmares and fears that I wasn't good enough. It hadn't just broken my heart, it had completely shattered it. All I wanted to do was talk to him, but I had to figure out what to say to him. I wanted, more than anything, for us to be together, but I couldn't sit around wondering when he was going to find someone better. Edward was amazing, and every sane girl wanted him. I'd never be able to be good enough. And if I love him, I should want the best for him, which wasn't me. Just then, I heard someone come into the room.

"Bella?" he whispered. "Are you awake sweetheart?" he asked softly, quietly walking over to the bed.

Edward.

"Yes, I'm awake," I whispered, trying desperately not to let him hear the tears in my voice. He sat on the edge of my bed, and cupped my cheek in his hand.

"Bella, listen. I had to talk to you. Please, just listen to my side of the story, without interruption. All I'm asking is that you listen to me, please?" he begged. I nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath, and took both my hands in his, scooting closer to me on the bed.

"The morning of Valentine's Day, I got to the hospital, totally exhausted. I'd had a test coming up," he paused, he must have seen the horrified expression on my face.

"It's okay, love. I've spoken to the hospital and my professors, who have all said to focus on your recovery, and we'd worry about catching up when I got back." I nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "Anyway, I was exhausted, and I was standing at the nurse's station, making some notes in a few of my patient's charts. Kate came over, and started talking about something, but I wasn't listening. Then, something changed. She touched my cheek and ran her fingers through my hair. The whole time, all I could think about was how that was your move. Before I could even react, and remind her that I was happily engaged, she kissed me. Which, must have been you walked in." His voice was thick with emotion, and he paused to compose himself. I stayed quiet.

"I tried to pull away, Bella, really I did, but she tightened her hold. She put both her hands on the back of my neck to hold my head to hers. That's when I wrapped my fingers around her arms to try to pry her off. I was finally able to pull her off me, and snapped at her. We were in the middle of the emergency room, and we were both engaged. Except the difference is that I am happily engaged. You are the only one I want, Bella. Even if you left me, I'd never even date again. No other woman on this earth can hold a candle to you. You are beautiful inside and out, a rare thing. I should have realized that you had been at the hospital when Nancy mentioned she'd spoken to you. I'm truly, very, deeply sorry. I don't have any excuses, I'm just sorry". He finished. I waited a moment, just in case he had anything to add, when he didn't, I tried to speak but couldn't. That was when I realized I was crying. I pulled him towards me, and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him as close as I possibly could to my body. He held me tightly, one hand on the back of my neck, holding my face to his chest. When I'd calmed down, I pulled away, and he wiped my tears. I knew what I had to do. He'd be completely honest with me, and had given me the entire story. I had to give him my side of it.

"Edward, I knew, deep down at least, that you didn't initiate or want that kiss. But I can't describe to you how I felt. It confirmed all my worst fears, that I'm not good enough for you. You're amazing, Edward, and I just feel like I'll never be good enough for you. You deserve so much better…" I trailed off, crying again. He crushed me to his chest again, one hand running through my hair.

"Bella, don't you ever say that again. I love you, and you are good enough. We need to make a pact, because this cannot come up in every argument we have. We have to accept that we are good enough for each other, okay? Please?" his voice was strained. I nodded. He shifted, pulling something out of the pocket of his jeans. He moved off the bed, kneeling on one knee beside.

"Bella, will you still be engaged to me?" he asked, holding out my engagement ring. I smiled. "They had to take it off when they induced the coma in case your fingers swelled." He explained before I could even have a chance to ask. I nodded, choking out a yes, and he slid the ring onto my finger, where it would stay for eternity.

**Edward's POV**

Bella was finally being released from the hospital today, and I was elated. Her injuries were minimal, and the doctors had asked her to rest for the remainder of the week. I decided to drive her back, and stay with her for a few days before returning to Harvard and the pile of homework waiting for me. Everyone else had left last night and this morning, after Bella had been officially discharged. Alice and Jasper had gone back last night to clean her room for her, and get some groceries for her. After this, I didn't want a long engagement. I wanted to drive to Vegas right now and get married. Bella and I had decided to visit Renee and Phil together for Spring Break. They just moved to Florida. Jacksonville, I think.

I had moved my car, so that I was parked in front of the hospital. When I got back to her room, she was sitting cross-legged on her bed, still dressed in her gown.

"They signed my release papers", she told me happily, glancing toward the papers on the table.

"Congrats. You ready to bust out of here?" I asked her, laughing. She nodded, but bit her bottom lip. I walked over to cup her cheek.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned. She wouldn't look at me, she kept her eyes on the sheets of the hospital bed.

"Edward-can you help me get dressed?" she asked, a blush creeping up her neck. I smiled, and turned her body so she was facing me, still cross-legged. I put a hand on the bed, next to each of her hips. I bent over slightly, pressing my forehead to her.

"Love, I've seen you naked before. I'd be happy to help." I told her reassuringly. She nodded, and her cheeks flushed to their normal color. I pulled the curtain around her bed, and set the set of clothes next to her. I helped her scoot to the edge of the bed. I knelt down, and she stood carefully, holding onto my shoulders as I helped her step into her panties. I slowly stood as I slid them up her thin, too thin, creamy thighs and onto her hips. I did the same with her sweatpants. I helped her sit back on the edge of the bed. I reached around her neck to untie her gown, and slipped it off her shoulders. I helped her with her bra, and carefully helped her put on a t-shirt and zip up hoodie. I smiled at her.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked her, smiling. I thought it was majorly sexy. She seemed to think the same thing.

"Is it bad that that totally turned me on?" she laughed. I chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"No. I'm not going to lie, I wanted to leave your clothes off and take you right here right now". I whispered, helping her off the bed for the last time and into the wheelchair. Just then, a nurse came over to help wheel her down to the car.

The car ride back to Dartmouth was pretty quiet, as Bella slept for the better part of the trip. When we got to the house, I helped her up to her room immediately.

Alice and Jasper were not home when we had arrived, so we were alone in the house. My thoughts of seeing her naked in the hospital played in my head for the hundredth time this afternoon, and I once again, found my self hard and ready to be with Bella. But she was in pain; I couldn't ask her to do that, no matter how much I wanted it.

I laid her down on her bed and tucked her in, she needed her rest. I turned to leave the room so she could sleep when she called out to me.

"Please don't leave, stay with me." She whimpered, clutching the front of my shirt.

"Anything for you, love." I responded as I climbed into bed. My arms circled her waist lightly and she snuggled into my chest.

"Anything?" She asked looking up at me with her delicate brown orbs, they were soft and her face was silently begging me. I couldn't deny her anything when she gave me this look.

"Whatever you wish, love." I said kissing her forehead.

"Make love to me." My dick got harder and my breath hitched. I couldn't deny her, but I didn't want to cause her anymore pain.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you." I asked worriedly.

"I just took some pain pills, I'm good. And I need you Edward." She reassured me. I wondered briefly if it was Bella talking, or the pain meds. I'd never forgive myself if I hurt her further.

I kissed her with passion and desire, completely soft and gentle. I pulled my shirt over my head and shimmied out of my jeans and boxers. I carefully undressed her and placed my body carefully on top of her.

Her arms circled my neck pulling me into another soft kiss. Her kiss told me everything I needed, she wanted me, she trusted me and I wanted her too.

I slowly entered her and we both moaned into each others mouths. I pulled away for a much needed breath; I met Bella's eyes and pulled out of her slowly, then pushed back in. I kept looking for any signs of pain, but I never saw anything other than love and pleasure. Never taking my eyes off her, I set a slow steady rhythm of thrusts.

It had been so long since we had just made love, and the intensity between us, and the fact that I could feel every ridge inside her was sending me over that cliff much too soon for my liking.

"Bella I can't hold it any longer, this feels too good. Cum with me love, please." I panted.

I changed my angle ever so slightly and she gasped, letting me know I found her sweet spot. I continued my thrusts once, twice and three more times before I felt her walls clamp around me and we both fell off the cliff together. Bella's name came from my lips and I it took all I had not to collapse on her fragile body.

I kissed her lips softly, whispering my love to her. I reluctantly pulled out of her warmth and laid next to her. She resumed her position on my chest, snuggling into it.

"Thank you Edward, I love you too."

I was so exhausted from the last few days that sleep induced me all too quickly.


	15. Alice the Wedding Planner

_**Author's Note:**_ I apologize, in advance, for the shortness/lameness of this chapter. I have a severe case of writer's block that comes from school and family related stress (as many of you know, my best friend committed suicide a few months ago). I have most of the story mapped out, but it's the fluffy in-between chapters that get me stuck. Anyway, review and let me know what you think anyway. Thanks for all your patience and support guys. Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Bella's POV

February 2010

It had been a week since Edward left, and it felt like a year. I had promised Alice that I would be cooperative with wedding plans this week, and this weekend, I was paying up. First thing we had to do was conference call with Edward to set a date. I was sitting at our kitchen table, papers and magazines were spread everywhere. I was starting to get overwhelmed. I felt inadequate. I had no idea how to plan a wedding. I was thankful for Alice, but I didn't want to rely on her and make her do all the work. I feel like I should have an idea of what to do or where to go from here, but I didn't. Was there a certain time to get married? What about Edward's school? I wanted to get married as soon as possible, but that couldn't happen, because Edward had to stay at Harvard to finish medical school, and I was only a junior. Would I really have to wait over a year? That sucked. I don't want to do that. Would Edward be okay to wait a year? I wanted to be married now, I hated being so far away from my fiancée. I had officially crossed the bridge to full-scale panic. Alice looked at me, worried, from her spot next to me at the table.

"Bella, are you okay? You sound like you are having a panic attack." She observed. I nodded. It felt like a panic attack. I couldn't breathe or think clearly. Edward, I needed Edward. I felt tears start to slide down my cheeks. Alice threw her arms around me.

"Bella, please tell me what's wrong, I'm sorry, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to…" she said, worriedly, but I knew she would be devastated if I backed out. I shook my head.

"No, Alice, I want-I want to do this," I choked, placing my hands on my stomach, trying to breathe deeply. I felt like I was gasping for air at this point, it felt like the air didn't reach my lungs. "I, I just feel like I have no idea what's going on…" I trailed off, trying to control my breathing and tears. Alice giggled, and pulled me closer.

"Silly Bella, that's why I'm here! Don't worry, I'll help you. All new brides feel this overwhelmed. Don't worry, Bella, really. We will take this one step at a time, and before you know it, everything will be planned." She rubbed my back in comfort. I nodded, and wiped the tears from my face.

"Alright, lets get started then, what do we do first?" I asked, starting to flip through some of the bridal magazines spread on the table.

"Well, I think first, we need to call Edward to set a date, or get one in mind. We can't do much until we set that up, because color schemes and all that will have to be worked around the time of year." She explained, and I nodded, taking out my cell phone. I dialed Edward. I wasn't sure if he was in class or not…

"Hello?" his voice was breathless. It made my heart stop. Immediately, a smile lit up my face.

"Hey you, it's your fiancée." I laughed at his surprise. He usually checked caller ID before he answered.

"Bella," he breathed, sighing in relief. "I'm sorry, I couldn't find my phone". He explained.

"That's alright. Do you have a minute?" I asked.

"Sure. What's up?" he asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"Alice and I are trying to get started on wedding plans, but before we can do anything, we need to set a date." I explained.

"Bella, it really doesn't matter to me." He said, slightly exasperated.

My fiancé was already annoyed with wedding plans?

"Well, it should," I snapped, "because I have a year of college left, and you still have a few years of medical school. We need to decide which state we are getting married in, and when." I had clearly taken him aback, as it took him a moment to speak.

"Bella, sweetheart, I really don't-" he said, more calmly, but I cut him off.

"Fine Edward. I'll make all the plans and tell you when to show up. Sorry for bothering you", I snapped, again. "Well, Alice and I have a lot of plans to make, so I have to let you go. Have a good day." I said, calmer, but it was still obvious I was annoyed. Before he could even respond, I ended the call, and shut off my phone. I turned back to Alice, who looked shocked by my reaction. She put her hand over mine, resting it on the table.

"What did he say, Bella?" she asked, concerned. Usually, I am calm and reasonable, but there's something about your fiancé refusing to have an opinion about the most important day of your life. As a little girl, I dreamed about my wedding. As I grew up, I took more of an interest in other things, but still, now it was finally time for me to actually be able to plan it. Planning a wedding now was so much more important now than it was when I was little. Not just because it was real now, but because I loved Edward. And this day was about committing to each other, and it felt like he didn't care as much as I did. Rational Bella told me that I was being ridiculous; he was just stressed out with school. He had been missing a lot of school lately to come to my rescue.

"Alice, why don't we just start on the engagement party plans for right now, and then we can worry about setting dates later, when Edward is less stressed."

"What did he say to you, Bella?" she pressed. I sighed.

"He just said he didn't care what day I picked, and I know I'm overreacting, but I was hoping this was the one aspect of the wedding he'd be excited to plan with me. I know he's a man and they don't enjoy planning like girls do, but I just wanted him to at least care about the big stuff, like the date," I shrugged, pretending like it was less of a deal than it was. And with that, we began to plan the engagement party for the last weekend of April.

Alice is a wedding genius. Four hours later, the engagement party was basically planned. It was just a lot of phone calls. We had nailed down a guest list, and Esme and Carlisle wanted to have it at their house, so venue was done. The only thing left were the invitations, and since Alice was throwing it, that was her job. I just had to get a dress, and I would be done, and Alice was more than happy to help me find a dress.

Around 8pm, after we had called the planning quits, I knew I had to call Edward and apologize for my freak out, as well as fill him in on the plans Alice and I made today. I dialed his number quickly, before I could lose my nerve. His voicemail picked up immediately, without ringing. He must be at the hospital.

"Hey Edward, it's me. I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I'll tell you what happened later. But Alice and I made some plans I wanted to clear the dates with you before they're final, to make sure that they don't interfere with finals for you or anything. Alright, well, give me a call whenever you get a minute, even if it's at 3am. I love you."

I ended the call, tossing my cell phone onto the coffee table. I pulled a blanket around me. Something had been feeling off between Edward and I after he returned to Harvard, and I hated it. I hated this distance between us, and I didn't just mean literally. Maybe I never realized the importance of the small things in a relationship.

Only one more year…


	16. Facing Kate

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. **

_Edward's POV_

_March 1, 2010_

Today was my first day back at the hospital since Bella was in an accident, and since Kate had kissed me. My only "real" friend here had betrayed me and almost ended my engagement. I walked into the hospital, and immediately, several nurses stared at me. A few of my favorite nurses looked at me with sympathy. They must have heard about Bella's accident. Several others were glaring-they must have been the one's to witness the kiss between Kate and I. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and my heart ached at the memory. I was angrier at Kate that she had hurt Bella. If she hadn't have made a move, Bella never would have ran off and driven upset. I made my way to the locker room and changed quickly. I was staying on the cardiology wing today, with Dr. Webber.

"Welcome back, Edward. I was so sorry to hear about your fiancée. How is she doing?" he asked, kindly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"She's much better, Dr. Webber, thank you. She's at home recovering." He nodded his head.

"Listen, Edward, there have been some rumors, and I wondered if you would follow me to the conference room to clear some of them up for me. I need to know how to proceed with Kate". He informed me. Kate must be in trouble. I almost felt bad for her.

"Sure thing," I agreed, and he led me into the conference room, closing the door behind us.  
"Before we go any further, Edward, I want you to know that I don't think you wanted that kiss. But, I can't tolerate kissing in the middle of the emergency room," he explained calmly.

"I understand, Dr. Webber, I am very sorry," I apologized. If she got me kicked out of this program…

"No, no, Edward, you have nothing to apologize for. But, can you tell me what happened?" he asked. I nodded, taking a deep breath.

"It was the morning of Valentine's Day, and I came in to start my shift exhausted. I had been studying for a test. I was standing at the nurse's station, making some notes in a few of my patient's charts. Kate came over, and started talking about something, but I wasn't listening. Then, something changed. She touched my cheek and ran her fingers through my hair. Before I could even react, and remind her that I was _happily_ engaged, she kissed me. I tried to pull away, really I did, but she tightened her hold. She put both her hands on the back of my neck to hold my head to hers. That's when I wrapped my fingers around her arms to try to pry her off. I was finally able to pull her off me, and snapped at her. We were in the middle of the emergency room, and we were both engaged. Except the difference is that I am happily engaged." I explained, re-telling the same story I had told Bella a little over a week ago. He nodded.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'll try to make sure you two don't have to work on a case together."

"Thank you, I appreciate that. Although, I can assure you if we do, I will be strictly professional." I told him, and he nodded in thanks.

I didn't run into Kate until lunch time. I was having lunch with Brett, another intern, when Kate walked over.

"Brett, could you give us a minute?" she purred seductively. Before he could answer, I snapped back at her.

"No, Brett, stay. Kate, if you want to say something to me, you should just say it. But, before you do that, I should remind you that I am _happily_ engaged." She just scoffed, and walked away, but not before I noticed her left ring finger was bare.

Two weeks later, Kate transferred to another hospital, but I have no idea where, and I'm glad that I don't know. As long as it was far, far away from Bella and I. Kate kept trying to get me alone, to talk, but I didn't want to put myself in that position again.

_April 30, 2010_

Bella and I (and the rest of my family) were back in Seattle for our engagement party. Things between Bella and I had been a little rocky since February, but it was mainly because we just missed each other so much. The second we saw each other again, all of our frustrations always faded away. Planning a wedding was more stressful than I thought. I didn't want to seem heartless in not "caring" about the wedding details, but I just wanted what Bella wanted. I didn't care where, when or how we were married; I just wanted to be married. I had lots of long talks with Emmett, and discovered that Bella was feeling scared and alone, and was afraid that I didn't care about her or the wedding. I was glad for this weekend, to reconnect, with her. We still hadn't decided on a date, but I was hoping to set one this weekend. I wanted to marry her right now, but she seemed to want to wait until after graduation. Emmett told me that I had to talk to Bella, alone, before the party to explain this. Apparently, Bella had multiple panic attacks because she couldn't handle the stress of this on her own.

So, that's what I was doing now. Alice had Bella locked in a bedroom at my parents house. I was half dressed, wearing my suit pants and a white undershirt. I knew that this conversation may involve crying, which was why I didn't put on my button down yet. Bella always got so upset when she saw she had smeared make up on my clothes. I knocked softly on the door. Alice called for me to come in. Bella was sitting in a chair, and Alice was standing behind her, softly curling the ends of her hair. Bella smiled at me, and Alice scoffed.

"Alice, I'm sorry, could you give Bella and I a minute?" I asked. Alice nodded, setting the curling iron down, and walked out of the room. I pulled her off the chair, and led her over to the bed. We both sat on the edge of it.

"Bella, I've been hearing some rumors from my family, and I don't like the sound of them", I started. Her face scrunched up a little in confusion.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow you," she said, softly. I reached out and cupped her face in my hands.

"Bella, I think that we had a misunderstanding. Love, I do care, very much about this weeding. What I meant, and perhaps I didn't say it correctly, was that I do not care when or how or where we are married, I just want to marry you. Bella, I want this wedding to be what you want it to be," I explained slowly. Tears gathered in her eyes.

"Sweetheart, please don't cry." I begged, pulling her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around me, and tightened her grip.

"Oh Edward, these are happy tears. I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you about it. I was just hurt. I thought you didn't care about our wedding. I was stupid to think that. I know it's stupid, but I want us to fight over stupid things, and register together…all this stuff that I'm doing with Alice, I want to do it with you". She confessed.

"Well, we have the rest of the weekend. Tonight, after the engagement party, you and I, alone, will sit down and set a date. Then, tomorrow, I can help you with some of the plans, and I promise to pick a fight about something stupid. How does that sound?" I asked, kissing the top of her head.

"Totally perfect." She said, leaning in closer to kiss me, long and passionately.

I left Bella to Alice then so she could finish getting ready. I put on my white button down and tucked it into my pants. I slipped on my black satin tie, and fastened my belt buckle. I checked myself over in the mirror, and fixed my hair, before giving up on it after five minutes, and going downstairs to help. Guests were beginning to arrive, so I talked to a few people. Most of them were my parents friends. I noticed my one of the doctor's my father works with, I forgot his name, but he had his arm around a strangely familiar blonde. Three things happened all at once.

First, my beautiful fiancée was making her way down the stairs, looking amazing.

Secondly, Jacob Black walked through the front door.

Thirdly, Kate. The strangely familiar blonde was Kate.

**Review, please? I may update again late tonight, if I can decide exactly what I want to happen. :) Hopefully this chapter makes up for the last chapter. Thanks guys!**


	17. Surprise Visitors

**Clarifications: Sorry if I did not make this clear in the last chapter, but Jacob and Kate are not at the party together. We meet Kate's date in this chapter, he's not really important to the story though, it just shows Kate's true character. Also, thank you to Nicholh2008 for betaing this chapter and helping me with the lemon. You are greatly appreciated. Review, please? Also-if you have suggestions or ideas, let me know. I'd love to hear them! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. **

**Bella's POV**

_April 30, 2010_

I was descending the stairs, feeling pretty hot, when I saw Edward first with an awed expression on his face, but he spotted two people, and looked panicked. First, I saw Jacob. Jacob! But my excitement died quickly when I spotted the one person I never in my life wanted to see again. Kate.

So I had several ways to handle this. I could walk over to her and slap her across the face, during the engagement party. Or, I could kill her with kindness. As I got to the bottom of the stairs, I leaned over to whisper in Alice's ear.

"Play along. I will explain later". Jacob was talking to my father, so I made my way to Edward and _her _first. It didn't look like she had seen Edward yet, and her arm was wrapped around the waist of a man that looked at least Carlisle's age. I held back my laughter. For now. I reached Edward, and wrapped my arms around him.

"Love, I'm so sorry, I don't know who invited her. I'll get her out of here." He said, pulling back from my embrace to look at me.

"Bella, love, you are absolutely breathtaking this evening", he bent down to kiss me softly on the lips. Carlisle was in the corner, eyeing us, standing with my father and Jake. A waiter passed, and Edward handed Alice and I a glass of champagne before taking one for himself.

"Play along," I whispered to Edward, seductively. He looked at me, confused. Just then, Kate turned slightly, and her eyes locked eyes with Edward. Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped. I turned, quickly, to whisper a quick explanation to Alice, as to who she was, just in case I needed backup. I refused to let Barbie Boyfriend Stealer ruin our engagement party. As I was whispering to Alice, Kate wiggled out of her date's arms, and walked slowly over to Edward. Her eyes kept darting to Alice and I. I heard her whisper to Edward.

"Edward, I am so sorry, I had no idea this was your engagement party. I work at a hospital nearby, and my boyfriend was invited, and he needed a date…" she trailed off as Alice and I walked over. I wrapped my arms tightly around Edward.

"Who is your friend, darling?" I asked, smiling at Kate. Edward was stunned speechless for a moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I am so rude. Bella darling, this is Kate. She used to work with me in Boston". I reached out to shake her hand.

"Oh Kate! It's lovely to finally meet you! I have heard so much about you from my dear fiancé, here!" I turned back to Edward to wink, and reached back to pinch his butt, making sure that Kate saw. Alice nearly choked on her champagne. "Why ever did you leave?" I asked, playing stupid. She was completely taken aback, and kept darting her eyes to Edward. She kept stumbling over her words, looking at the ground, and finally glanced to Alice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kate, this is Alice, my sister in law to be," I turned to Alice, "Alice, this is Kate, Edward's friend from Boston". Alice choked down her laughter long enough to shake Kate's hand and mutter a "pleasure to meet you".

"So Kate, is this your fiancé?" I asked, motioning to the older man that had appeared beside her. She stuttered again, and turned bright red.

"Oh, uh, no. This-this…this is my, um, I mean this is Matt-well, Dr. Kennedy". She said. He smiled, and shook our hands.

"It's so great to meet you. But I thought-I'm sorry, I'm being rude". I waved my hand across my face.

"I'm so sorry, it was wonderful to meet you, but I must steal my fiancé away for just a moment. Please come find us later, I'd love to get to know you both". I said, shaking their hands once more before pulling Edward and Alice away. The moment I did, Kate whispered something into Matt's ear, and they bolted for the front door. Alice, Edward and I could barely contain our laughter. Edward swept me into his arms, lifting me off the ground and into a very passionate kiss. I blushed when I heard whistling and clapping around us. I giggled as Edward set me back on the ground.

"You are amazing. Meet me in the bathroom upstairs in twenty minutes." Edward said, winking as he walked away, patting my butt.

"Wow". Alice said, after overhearing the whole thing. I laughed.

"I'm proud of you two. You two have come a long way". She laughed. I giggled, and pulled her over to Jacob.

"Jacob!" I said, touching his shoulder. He was still talking to Charlie. He gave me a brilliant smile.

"Bella," he breathed. "It's wonderful to see you," he said, enveloping me in a gentle hug.

"It's good to see you, too". I said, peering back into his eyes. This wasn't my ex-best friend. It was just a shell of the man I once knew. I no longer knew this person. He clinked his champagne glass with mine, bringing me abruptly out of my thoughts.

"Congratulations, Bella." He said, sounding sincere. I smiled.

"Thank you, Jacob. How's Kristin?" I asked. He smiled.

"Expecting". He answered simply. I smiled back, and hugged him tightly.

"Oh Jacob, that's wonderful. Congratulations!"

"Thank you. We're excited".

Has it been twenty minutes yet?

"So when's the wedding?" Jacob asked me.

"Oh, we aren't actually sure yet, we are actually going to set the date tonight. We live so far apart, it's been hard to get together to look at stuff like that". I confessed. He just nodded. It was clear that he didn't like Edward.

"Speaking of which, where is that fiancé of yours?" he asked, glancing around.

"Oh, I will go find him. He must have disappeared. He's not too fond of these parties," I shrugged, going off to find the bathroom.

I noticed that I was five minutes early, but I knocked softly anyway. He was already waiting. He opened the door and pulled me in quickly, attaching his lips to mine. He took my champagne glass, and set it next to his on the bathtub. He whirled around, attacking my neck with his mouth. I gasped and threw my arms around his neck. He picked me up by the back of my thighs, and set me on the counter. He moved his hands from my calves, up my legs and thighs, and got to the waistband of my thong. He hooked his fingers through it, and pulled it off.

I unbuckled his belt buckle and unzipped his pants, letting them fall to his feet. I tugged his boxers down, and they pooled at his feet. He pulled me to the edge of the counter, lifting my dress up so that it wouldn't get…messy.

"I need you now, Isabella," he growled. I began biting on his neck. I wrapped my legs around his waist, locking my heels together. He groaned, and thrust hard into me.

"Hold on tight." He whispered into my ear. I nearly came then. I tightened my arms around his neck, and he thrust again. My head fell back, and I moaned quietly. He thrust in again, groaning against my neck.

"Harder, baby, harder", I begged, moaning into his shoulder. He willingly complied, and I cried out at the force. He continued thrusting, moving his hands from my hips to my knees. He pulled them apart, moving them so that my ankles were resting on his shoulders. I nearly screamed at the new angle. He thrust again, and my walls clenched around his cock.

"Cum with me, baby", Edward gasped, his hands on my hips again, pushing himself further into me. I gasped, trying to hold back. This was the first time we'd had sex in months, and I wanted to make it last longer than a few minutes, but we were both losing it quickly.

"Let go, Isabella." Edward demanded. My control slipped, and we both fell over the edge together. We were both panting, gazing into each others eyes lovingly. I was still gasping for air. Edward gently moved my feet from his shoulders, letting my legs fall to each side of him. He pulled me back into his arms.

"I love you," he whispered, softly kissing my neck.

"I love you, too". I pulled back, and kissed his chest.

"We should probably get back out there," he groaned. I nodded my head in agreement.

He bent down to pull his boxers and pants back up. He handed me my panties, and I slipped them back on, while he tucked his shirt back in, straightening his shirt and tie, but he just messed it up more, so I grabbed his hand, and pulled him back over to where I was still sitting on the counter. He stepped between my legs again, and I straightened his tie for him.

"Jacob wanted to meet you, too", I told him. He just rolled his eyes.

I hopped off the counter, and nearly lost my balance, my legs were still a little wobbly. He caught me before I could fall.

"Careful, there, my Bella". He winked, and I felt my knees go weak again. I straightened my hair and dress, and Edward opened the door, holding my hand. To my horror and surprise, Emmett and Rosalie were leaning against the wall across from the bathroom. They looked shocked to see us both emerge, and Rosalie arched a perfect eyebrow.

"Well, I'm glad someone's getting laid…" Emmett laughed. Edward looked him straight in the eye, and said, "It's our engagement party and we'll fuck if we want to." My jaw dropped to the floor, and I could see that Rosalie and Emmett had similar reactions. Edward walked past them, pulling me along, back over to my father and Jacob.

Just as we were walking over to them, Rosalie and Esme yanked me from Edward's arms and dragged me upstairs. For a moment, I was worried that Emmett or Rose told my future mother in law that Edward and I had just fucked in her bedroom. I was a little surprised at my casual usage of that word, but first of all, it wasn't like I'd said it out loud. Second of all, there was no other word for what happened down there, it wasn't just "sex", and it definitely was not "making love". It was straight up fucking. I blushed just thinking that. Rosalie and Esme pulled me into a bedroom, and shut the door behind me.

"We heard Kate was here," Rosalie snarled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, she was. I met her." I confirmed. Rosalie and Esme glanced at each other, looking concerned. "Alice was there. I gave her the quick version of an explanation, although she knows most of the story already. I knew that I could either make a fool of myself during my own engagement party, or play dumb and kill her with kindness, so that's what I did." Rosalie groaned.

"Bella, Bella, have you learned nothing from me? You always make a scene, especially in front of girls that want to fuck your fiancé!" Rosalie scolded, but blushed, realizing that Esme was standing right next to her.

"Oh, sorry, Esme," Rosalie apologized. Esme waved her hand, and wrapped an arm around Rosalie.

"No, it's fine. You're right." She said. Rose and I were shocked.

"So where is she now?" Esme asked, turning to me.

"Oh, she left. Her date, who was Carlisle's age by the way, went with her. She told Edward that she was surprised to see him here, and she apologized, saying she had no idea that this was our engagement party". Rosalie rolled her eyes at my explanation again.

"You look like you believed her." Rosalie said, narrowing her eyes.

"I did. I mean, I do. She seemed legitimately sorry." I defended.

"Oh Bella. You are such a sweetheart," Esme said, placing a hand on her chest. "You're a woman; you should know how conniving and caddy we can be! She was lying, I'm sure of it. How could she not know whose party this was? Even if she was being honest, and invited, she knew Edward's last name, and she knew the basics of Edward's life. Like that his father was a doctor at a Seattle hospital." Esme said.

Oh my gosh, she was so right.

"But, you didn't see the look on her face when she left here…" I stated, trying to talk myself out of believing this.

"Look, let's not do this now," Esme said, reading the panic on my face. "We are celebrating an engagement. You and Edward, not Kate and Edward".

The thought made me shudder.

"Yes, we will discuss this tonight with Edward. He will know if she was being sincere or not. Maybe Jasper too, I know he was watching as well", Esme said, thinking. Edward knocked lightly on the door, and peaked his head in. He reached for my hand.

"Bella, your engagement present is here," he said, smiling brilliantly.

"From who?" the smile on his face told me the answer to my question.

"Your fiancé. He's pretty sexy." He said, leading me downstairs. I shrugged.

"Eh, he's okay." We laughed. I leaned over to kiss him.

"No, you are very, very sexy." I smiled, licking my lips seductively. He laughed, and motioned over to the front door. My heart stopped.

"Mom? Phil?"


	18. Talking with Jake

**A/N: This is kind of a boring, fluffy chapter, not much happens, but it was necessary to continue the story. Hopefully, you like it, and hopefully, I'll have another update for you tomorrow. I hope you had a wonderul Valentine's Day. :) Thanks for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. **

Bella's POV

I jumped into their waiting arms, and felt the tears began to fall down my cheeks.

I had the most wonderful fiancé.

My mother pulled back, and wiped them from my face.

"You both look wonderful!" I gushed, hugging them again. I felt Edward's hand on my back.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I pulled away from my mom and step dad to include Edward in the circle. I wrapped my arm around his waist, squeezing him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I whispered, standing on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. He was beaming.

"You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome," he turned to my mom and Phil then.

"I'm so glad you both were able to make it!" Edward said, kissing Renee's cheek and shaking Phil's hand.

"We are too! Thank you so much for including us," my mom said, smiling at Edward.

Just when I thought he couldn't get any more wonderful, he did something like this. I smacked his arm.

"How on earth did you manage to keep this secret from me?" I asked, completely amazed. I was still in a state of shock. I wasn't so much surprised that Edward kept the secret from me, because he lived to surprise me, but Alice? Different story.

"It wasn't easy," he laughed. "We were actually more concerned with keeping it from Alice than we were you," he admitted. Phil and my mom both laughed at this.

"Wait, so she didn't know either?" I asked. Wow.

"No, well, she didn't until this morning, and Jasper threatened her within an inch of her life". He admitted smugly.

Edward and I filled them in on small wedding details, including the fact that we were picking a wedding date tonight, and they were both thrilled for us. We were discussing Edward's medical school when Jacob walked over, putting his hand on the small of my waist.

"I'm sorry, could I steal Bella away from you for a moment?" he asked my parents and Edward politely. Wow. Jake was being civil to Edward? Edward nodded, and released me from his arms. I followed Jake outside, onto the desk. No one was outside, so we sat on the bottom steps.

"You look good, Bella," Jake said, looking me over once again.

"So do you, Jake". I said politely.

"Look Bella, I know you're mad at me…" he started, but I shook my head furiously.

"No, Jake, I'm not mad at you. I'm upset. You were my very best friend Jake. You weren't there when I needed you the most. And it was all because of Edward? Really? You decided that after years and years of friendship, you'd give all that up, just because I decided to date Edward?" I said, harsher than I had intended.

"Bella, I messed up. But I am glad that he was there for you when I wasn't."

"They," I corrected under my breath.

"What?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion.

"It wasn't just Edward, it was his entire family…" he just nodded at that.

"I heard you were in a car accident recently?" he asked, but by the way he asked, I guessed that he knew there was more to the story and wanted to know what it was.

"Yes." I stated, stalling.

"What were you doing all the way in Boston?" he asked.

"Edward goes to Harvard Medical School, I drove up for Valentine's Day to surprise him. I saw something and interpreted it wrong, got upset, drove and crashed. That's all there is to it". I said, quickly. I didn't want to tell him what actually happened; I didn't want the two of them to fight. If he thought I was lying, he didn't bring it up.

"Bella, I know you're angry with me, and you have every right to be, but I just wanted to tell you that I love and missed you. Bella, I just want you to know that no matter what you decide in life, I will always support you, if it's what you really want. If you say that you love Edward and he will make you happy, then I am thrilled for you." He said, honestly. Tears began to streak down my face.

"Please know that I am always here for you, Bella. Even when we fight." He told me. I nodded. "I'm sorry that I haven't been there lately, I don't know what was wrong with me. Please accept my apology-if I could turn back time, I would do it in a heartbeat".

I nodded again. I wasn't sure how to respond to this, it was just such a shock. Last time I had spoken to Jake, we were polite, but I knew he wasn't thrilled with the fact that I was seriously dating Edward.

"Thank you, Jake. I can't tell you what that means to me". I hugged him tightly. He kissed my forehead.

"Now, sit back down and tell me all about married life. The good, the bad and the ugly. I want to know it all. And I want to hear all about your upcoming fatherhood". I laughed, as he began to talk.

I had my best friend back.

I was engaged to the most amazing man in the world.

My mom, dad, and step father were all at the same party, getting along.

I was setting my wedding date tonight.

My life was, at this moment, totally perfect.

_Later that evening…_

The party was finally over. Not that I didn't enjoy the party, because I did, but I was dying to talk to Edward and the rest of the family about Kate. We waited until my parents left though. My mom and Phil were staying close by, and we would have breakfast in the morning. They were tired from traveling. The rest of us sat in the living room, trying to make sense of Kate's actions tonight.

"What I don't understand," I said, "is that when I saw her, she looked legitimately surprised to see Edward."

"She could just have a good poker face," Alice guessed.

"I think she's up to something," Edward admitted, speaking for the first time. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Alright, let's say she is. Let's say she's after you. What exactly is she going to do? She ran out of here, seriously scared tonight, Edward." I countered.

"I think it's ridiculous to sit around and talk about this. Bella and Edward, you are both headed back east in the matter of a day or so. So, it's not an issue. She's here, let's just leave it. We'll be careful here, if we come into contact with her, but this is pathetic to sit around and debate the meaning of her making an appearance." Carlisle pointed out. I nodded in agreement.

Not long after, Edward and I went upstairs, alone, to talk about wedding dates. It had taken a good hour to convince Alice to leave us alone, but this was the one part of the wedding that I did not want any one else's input on. Only Edward and I. I didn't want to sound mean or selfish, but it was our wedding.

Edward took out his school calendar, and I did the same.

"Okay, well we can't get married this year, it's too soon, and we both are still in school." I pointed out, and he nodded. I was finishing up my junior year of college, and Edward would still be in medical school for a few years. He groaned.

"Ugh, I want to get married like now, but that's impossible, because we'd never be together. We have to wait until at least you finish college, and that's only if you would be willing to live in Boston until I was able to finish up med school," he said. I cupped his cheek in my hand, leaning down slightly to kiss his lips.

"Edward. You are my home." I promised. He kissed me again.

"As you are my home, Bella. So, we're looking at next summer, then?" he asked. I thought for a moment.

"I don't know if I want to get married in the summer. First of all, I have graduation and job hunting, and starting a new job. It just seems…I don't know. I think I'd rather get married in the fall or winter, when no one else is getting married." I confessed. He was lost in thought for a moment.

"You are absolutely right. Fall it is." He flipped through to the fall months.

"Early fall or late fall?" I asked. We looked at the weekends, taking in account Thanksgiving.

"I vote for late fall, two weeks before Thanksgiving?" He suggested. I checked the calendar.

November 12, 2011.

Our wedding date.


	19. Acceptance

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think of this one. :) I don't own Twilight. **

**Bella's POV**

_May 10__th__, 2010_

I flipped through the mail on my way into the house, and stopped dead when I saw an envelope from the New York Times. I tried to hide my excitement from Alice, who I saw waiting in the front window. I tucked the envelope into my purse discretely. Alice was bouncing up and down.

"Bella, Bella! Rose invited us to the city this weekend for dress shopping!" she sang. I rolled my eyes. It was finals week!

"Alice, aren't your forgetting something?" I asked. She looked deep in thought for a moment.

"Um, no, I don't think so…" she said, carefully, still thinking. I laughed.

"Finals, Alice. I can't go dress shopping. We have finals. I need to study". I said firmly. Normally, I'd tell her no, and then she'd annoy me to no end until I finally gave in. But not this weekend, I had to do good on my finals. And apparently so did she, because she angrily whipped out her cell phone and called Rose to postpone plans.

I took the opportunity to sneak off to my room. I had to tell someone my big news, and I knew exactly who to call. I shut and locked my door behind me, dumping everything but the envelope on my bed. I tore it open, and only needed to read the first two lines:

_Dear Ms. Swan,_

_Congratulations, you have been accepted into the New York Times' Summer Internship Program beginning June 10__th__, 2010. We look forward to seeing you then. _

I got in! I hadn't even told anyone that I applied, because I assumed that I wouldn't be accepted, since the program was so competitive. I didn't want to have to tell everyone that I wasn't accepted. There was one person whose opinion I needed first.

I dialed the number on my phone, and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" A groggy voice asked.

"Hey Jake! It's me! Did I call at a bad time?" It sounded like I had woken him up.

"No, not at all, sweetie. It's good to hear from you!" He said, sounding more alert.

"Good. So I have some big news, and you are the first to hear about it." I practically sang I was so excited. I was putting Alice to shame right now.

"Really? Well tell me!"

"So, I applied to this crazy competitive summer internship at the New York Times, just for fun, because it has like a 16% acceptance rate. They get thousands of applications and only choose six. But they accepted ME, Jake!" I said, excitedly, making sure to keep my voice down. I didn't want Alice to hear. Edward was the next person I wanted to know.

"Wow! Bella, that's amazing!" he said, genuinely. "So what, you'll live in New York City for the summer then?" he asked.

"Yes, how awesome is that?!"

"Wow, Bella, that's fantastic. Have you told your dad yet?" he asked.

That was random.

"Oh, no, you're the first person I've told. Why, is something wrong?" I asked, a little worried. What did he know that I didn't?

"Bella, no, no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. Your dad is completely healthy, he's great. I just think you should call him soon to tell him." He advised.

Alright, this conversation kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Alright, I will. Okay, I should call Edward…" My excitement was completely deflated. I was now officially worried about Charlie.

"You told me before you told your fiancé?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah…okay, well I'll talk to you later" I said, sounding sadder than I wanted to.

"Bella, honey, are you okay?" he asked. I sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just concerned about Charlie." I told him.

"Bella, I promise, it's fine. Everything with your father is perfect. I wouldn't lie to you".

"Okay, thanks Jake. I really do have to go though. Love you."

"I love you too, Bells."

I hung up the phone, and tried to decide who to call first.

Edward or Charlie…

My dad or my fiancé…

I took a deep breath and dialed Edward's number, he picked up on the second ring.

"Hey," he answered sounding distracted.

"Hey you, how are 'ya?"

"Crazy busy, can I call you back later?" he asked, and my heart sank.

"Oh…yeah, I just called to tell you some news…" I trailed off, not sure if I should just tell him now, or wait for him to call back.

"Oh yeah?" I guess that was his way of telling me to tell him now.

"Okay, well, I applied for this internship awhile ago, but I didn't tell anyone, because I didn't think I'd get in…but I did! I got an internship at the New York Times!" I said, excitedly. I was a little worried about how Edward was going to take the news, because last time we spoke about our summer plans, he was going to Seattle to intern at the hospital where his dad works.

"Wow, that's great baby, but I really have to go. I'll call you soon. I love you." He hung up before I even had a chance to tell him I loved him too.

I sighed. The last two people I've told, I hung up feeling deflated. I hoped that the third time would be a charm. I dialed Charlie's number, and he picked up after the fourth ring, completely breathless.

"Hello?"

"Hey dad, it's me. How are you?" I asked, trying to build more excitement.

"I'm great, how are you, kid?"

"I'm great. You okay? I talked to Jake, and he made it sound like I should call…"

"Oh. Did he…" he sounded annoyed at Jake. "Well, I do have news, but I wanted to tell you differently…"

"Okay, dad, you're scaring me."

"Bella, it's okay. Calm down. Everything's fine…ugh, I hate doing this on the phone. But, okay, Bells, Sue and I are getting married."

It took me a moment to pick my jaw off the ground.

"Dad…wow…that's…amazing!" I nearly yelled. I was seriously so excited for him. I was always preoccupied at school, worried about leaving my father alone. He deserved this, more than anyone I know.

"Thanks, Bells. We're getting married in July. We want a quick engagement. It'll be a small outside wedding, probably on the reservation, which is how Jake knows. Billy helped me shop for the ring". He explained. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before I proposed, Bells, I was just worried."

"No, dad, I totally understand, that's wonderful. Congratulations."

"Thanks, kid. So what's up with you?"

"Well, I actually got accepted into this crazy internship, but I'm not sure if I'm going to take it." I said, sadly. I couldn't live in New York…I wanted to be there for my father's wedding.

"What? Why not? Where's the internship?" he asked, alarmed.

"The New York Times, but" he cut me off before I could even get out my excuse.

"Isabella Swan. You will not turn down that job. That is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you don't take that internship, I will call off my wedding". He threatened. I groaned.

"All right, whatever dad, I'll take the stupid job." He laughed at my response.

"Alright, I have to get going, I'm working a late shift at work, but congratulations, and I love you". He said.

"I love you too, dad. And pass my congratulations onto Sue."

I sat on my bed, staring. What the hell had just happened? I sat there for quite some time before Alice knocked, poking her head in.

"Bella? Are you okay?" she asked, concerned. I just nodded, and a tear slipped down my cheek.

Why was I crying?

Alice rushed to my side, and put her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"Bella? What's wrong?" she asked, rubbing my back worriedly.

"Oh, Alice…I don't know, I don't know what I'm crying…"

"You aren't pregnant, are you?" she laughed. I shook my head.

"No, although that may be why I am crying, I got my period yesterday…" Okay, that made more sense. I began to calm down.

"Is it Edward?" she asked.

"No, it's everything." I turned to look at her, and handed her the letter. "I got into this wonderful program at the New York Times for the summer, and I was so excited, and then I called Jake, who basically told me to check with my dad first, which freaked me out, so then I called Edward, who couldn't have cared less, and then I called my dad, and it turns out that he's engaged." I told her. She was wide eyed, trying to follow all the news.

"Wow, Bella, this is amazing", she said, holding up the letter. "If this is what you want, go through with it. This is once in a lifetime."

"Yeah, that's what my dad said. He threatened to call off his wedding this summer if I don't go through with it." I laughed.

"Don't worry about Edward though, I'm sure he was just stressed. Do you want to have a girls night? Forget about the boys and watch some sappy chick flicks?" she offered. I nodded.

"That sounds perfect." I agreed.

**Alice POV:**

I walked out of Bella's room and softly shut the door behind me. I pulled out my phone, and found the number I was looking for. I called it, impatiently listening to it ring. I tapped my foot anxiously. I finally heard the voice I needed.

"It's Bella," I said with no introduction. "I think you should come. She needs you".


	20. Phone Calls

**Author's Note: For OfficialWhaleSaver, for loving this story so much. And for all of you who reviewed and beg for a second update tonight. This one is short, and a little rushed, but it should hold you off until I can update again Wednesday. Disclaimer-I don't own Twilight. **

**Edward's POV**

I sighed into the phone.

"Alice, I can't. I'm sorry…is she okay?"

"No, she's not okay, asshole. Big things have happened today and she feels alone. Why have you been such a jerk to her?!" she demanded. I tried to hold back the tears. She couldn't possibly feel alone, right? She knew how much I loved her.

"I haven't been, Alice, I'm just busy, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm kind of in med school and its finals week."

"Well your fiancée is on the verge of a breakdown. Make it up to her or you may not have a fiancée after this." She snapped.

What? What the hell was going on?

"Alice? What are you talking about?"

"Edward, where have you been the last few weeks?"

"Boston, Alice. That's a rather obvious question." I rolled my eyes.

"No, smartass. I didn't mean literally. I meant your mind. Your fiancée thinks that she's losing you."

"Alice, why would she think that?"

"Oh my gosh, do you ever listen, Edward?" she screamed into the phone. She hung up the phone then. I threw myself face down onto the bed, trying my hardest not to give into the dam of tears that had built up for the last few weeks. As I thought about the last few weeks, I realized I hadn't been so nice to my fiancée lately.

First, I was completely stressed about Bella and Jacob. I was glad, for Bella's sake, that she and Jacob had finally made up. She never said anything, but I could always tell that she missed him terribly, and she had missed him when her father was sick.

Secondly, I was preoccupied with Kate, who would not stop calling me. She also sent a lot of sexually explicit text messages, which I had to delete right away, I didn't want Bella to see them and think something was going on.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I'd failed my first intern test. If I didn't pass the next one next week, I couldn't be a doctor. I was too ashamed to tell anyone. The only person that knew was my professor and my boss. I hadn't been in the mindset to study after Bella's accident, and I'd missed so much class at that point that it was hard to catch up. I'd been throwing myself into studying, and between stress from that, and Alice calling me every five minutes about wedding plans, I'd been at the end of my rope. It wasn't that I didn't care about wedding plans, because I did, but I just wanted this to be what Bella wanted, not what Alice wanted.

I took a deep breath. Okay, how to fix this. It was Thursday, and I couldn't miss anymore class, so I couldn't drive over there like Alice had wanted me to. I wanted to, desperately, but I couldn't afford the time. I only had another week of school though, and then we were both going back to the Seattle area. Before I could pick up the phone to call Bella, my dad called. I sighed, and prayed that one of his friends hadn't told him that I failed my first intern test.

"Hello?" I answered, pretending I hadn't seen caller ID.

"Edward, it's your father," uh oh, he sounded worried. Maybe Alice had called him as well.

"Hey dad."

"I'm sorry to bother you this week. I know you must be studying hard, so I will make this quick. I was just wondering if you wanted me to see if I could get you a spot for the summer at one of the Manhattan hospitals. Several of my friends work at multiple ones, so I'm sure that one of them could find you a spot to continue your internship for school. I'm sure Harvard wouldn't mind." I was completely lost.

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, so you're coming back to Seattle then? I thought that you would stay in the city with Bella… Oh, well, at least you'll see her for the wedding in June, and I'm sure you'll work out a schedule to keep the wedding plans up."

My father could have been speaking a foreign language. What the hell was he talking about?

"Dad, Bella and I aren't getting married this summer. We're getting married next November, remember?" I reminded him, exasperated.

"Oh…no, well…I thought she would have told you. Hm. That's odd…"

"What? Dad, could you please stop beating around the bush and just come out with it? I haven't slept in like a month, and I have a lot of studying to do".

"Charlie is marrying Sue in June, and Bella was offered an internship in Manhattan with the New York Times that she's pretty sure she was going to take. I think Charlie inisisted on it. She didn't tell you?" I racked my brain. She'd called earlier, but I hadn't been listening. She'd sounded excited, but I couldn't remember about what. I briefly remembered congratulating her.

"No, she did. I'm just surprised you all know." I lied.

"Charlie told me. Alright, well I will let you get back to studying. Edward, I'm so proud of you, keep up the excellent work. Let me know if you need anything son". I groaned. I'd never felt lower than I did right now.

"Thanks Dad. Love you, bye".

He hung up the phone, and I groaned into my pillow. I had to fix this, and I had to fix this now if I wanted a shot at passing this test this week. I wouldn't have a prayer if I was fighting with Bella. I dialed her number quickly, and she picked up on the first ring. I could tell by her greeting that she'd been sobbing when I called.

"Hey sweetheart, it's me. I'm sorry about earlier, I was distracted. Tell me all about this internship."

"Are you okay, Edward?" she choked.

"Yes, I'm fine, baby. I'm sorry I've been rude to you lately; I just have a lot on my mind. Let's start over completely. Tell me your news."

"Well, I applied for this crazy internship a long time ago for the New York Times. I never thought I'd get it, it's a very competitive program. I think that there are only like six spots and thousands of people from all over the word apply, but I got it…I got my acceptance letter today in the mail. I didn't tell anyone about it because I was so sure that I would get it, and I didn't want to feel ashamed and have to tell people that I didn't get it. But I did, and it is a once in a lifetime experience. Do you think it would be okay if I took it, and moved to New York for the summer?" She was asking my permission. I really did not deserve her.

"Bella, I think it would be more than okay. You have to take the job. You're right, this is once in a lifetime. And actually, I wanted to run something past you as well,"

"Go ahead. Run,"

"Your dad told my dad about this amazing opportunity, and my dad offered to help me get a spot at one of the Manhattan hospitals for the summer, and Emmett mentioned to me about a week ago that there was a vacancy in he and Rose's building. So, if you're up for it, I was wondering if you'd want to get an apartment together for the summer so we can plan the wedding between working. This way we can do it together, instead of via Alice and e-mail. Not that I don't love phone calls from her every five minutes to ask if I like white or eggshell better". I teased. Bella laughed.

"Edward, I would absolutely love that. You're wonderful." She sighed in contentment. That must be a good sign, right?

"I will have Emmett check into that apartment for us then. So…I hear that your father and Sue are engaged, that's wonderful." I added.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry…I meant to tell you…there's just a lot going on." She sounded embarrassed.

"Love, it's okay. I'm not mad or anything. I've been a dick to you lately, I would have understood if you hadn't told me anything lately." I said, sadly.

"Edward, I know you're stressed…"

"That's not an excuse though, I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven."

"So, are you okay with their engagement?" I asked, hoping she'd be truthful if she was upset about it.

"I'm more than okay with it. I've been so worried about him that I'm basically failing one of my classes, I just can't concentrate." She admitted.

She'd been honest with me about failing a class…

"Yeah, I get that," I agreed.

"So what about you? How have your classes been going? Have you been able to catch up on everything that you missed with all the drama lately?" she asked. I took a deep breath.

"No. Classes are so hard, Bella. I failed my first intern exam, and if I don't pass the test next week, I'm out of the program," I admitted sadly.

Phew. I felt a physical weight lifted from my chest when I told her. It felt wonderful.

"Oh Edward, I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, concerned.

"No, I just have to study. That's why I've been acting the way I have been for awhile, I was just ashamed, I don't want anyone else to know…" I trailed off, looking at my feet.

"I promise, this conversation will stay between you and I," she said, quietly.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Thank you for trusting me with that." She said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Thank you for being so wonderful about it."

"So. We're moving in…"

She was totally perfect. All I knew was that at the end of the summer, I would not want to go back to Boston alone.


	21. Moving Day

**A/N: I am so, so sorry for the wait for this chapter, guys. I have a serious case of writers block, and it took me quite some time to knock out this chapter. If you have any ideas, please send them to me, I am desperate. But hopefully the updates should go back to being every other day. Thank you so much for your patience. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks for sticking with me. **

**Disclaimer. My name still is not Stephenie Meyer, which also, sadly, means I still do not own Twilight. **

**Edward's POV**

_May 20, 2010_

I'd been warned. Kate was back in Boston for the day. I'd been stationed down in the ER for the day, since she would be upstairs. She had meetings with the program directors; she was transferring to one of the hospitals in Seattle. I stayed busy in the ER for the better part of the day, but I was buttoning up my shirt in the locker room when I felt fingernails rake across my back.

Creepy.

I spun around, and there she was.

Kate. I had to choke back vomit in my mouth.

"I knew you'd be here waiting for me," she attempted a seductive voice, but it wasn't happening.

"Look, Kate, I don't know in how many different ways and languages to tell you this, but. I. Am. Not. Interested. I am still happily engaged, and I am getting married." I tried desperately to calm down and keep my temper. It seemed to just spur her on.

"You say that now. But you'll feel differently once you're married. You'll seek me out, and beg me to have an affair with you. A girl can't wait around forever, Edward", she warned me.

I rolled my eyes internally.

"Kate, don't make me call security. Please leave me alone. I have patients". I told her, finally fed up. If I had to talk to her anymore, I may do something I know I will regret later. She nodded, but pressed herself into me, before I could push her away, she leaned closer to whisper in my ear, attempting, and once again failing, to be seductive.

"Don't play games with someone that can play them better than you." She warned before stalking away. I rolled my eyes.

Whatever the hell that meant.

**Bella's POV**

Finals were finally over, and it felt wonderful. Edward and I were moving into an apartment in Rosalie and Emmett's building soon. Actually, I was beginning to move in today, and he was wrapping some things up at the hospital. Alice and I were driving in her car and Jasper and Emmett were following behind in a small U-Haul. Edward was moving in about a week. He still had a few things to wrap up in Boston, first. My internship started on June 4th and I couldn't be more excited about anything. Except maybe getting this car ride over.

Do you want to know what's stupid when traveling with Emmett? Giving him a walkie-talkie so he could keep in contact with Alice and I in case there were any emergencies, or if we got separated. We were only thirty minutes into the trip, and Alice and I sighed as we heard his voice over the radio for at least the tenth time. I growled.

"Yes, Emmett," I said through clenched teeth.

"Hey! USE THE CODE NAMES I GAVE YOU! WHAT, ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?! WE COULD BE BEING FOLLOWED!" he yelled into the walkie talkie. Alice and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

"I'm really tempted to throw that at their window" Alice laughed.

"Now, try that again," Emmett scolded. He sounded like a three year old.

"Emmett," I sighed, "I don't remember the damn code names".

"We're K-Fed and you are Britney". He said, matter of factly. Alice nearly swerved the car into oncoming traffic as she tore the walkie talkie from my hands to talk to Emmett.

"Oh HELL no!" she yelled into the walkie talkie.

Finally, someone was putting an end to this.

"You did not just call my beautiful yellow PORSCHE Britney fucking Spears."

"Fine. We will be Britney and you can be K-Fed", Emmett rationalized, only pissing Alice off more. Before she could respond, Emmett came back on.

"Oh, and Jasper says we're supposed to say 'over' when we're done speaking, Alice. Over".

"What the FUCK, Jasper. Over." She yelled into the walkie talkie. I laughed. Why were they all taking this so seriously? What kind of family am I marrying into?

"Fine, Jasper says you can be eagle eye and we can be Boy Scout." Emmett said, sounding slightly embarrassed. Alice and I both burst into laughter.

"I think I liked Britney and K Fed better than that," I told Alice. She nodded in agreement.

"I don't understand how Rose puts up with this," Alice said, still laughing. She turned up the radio a little louder.

"We are taking your silence to mean that you like the new code names", Emmett said again.

"You forgot to say over, over". Alice giggled into the walkie talkie.

This was going to be a really long ride.

We finally arrived in New York, after what seemed like days in the car. Emmett and Alice fought over code names the entire ride, it never let up. I drifted off after "hooker" and "business man". Yeah, they got lamer as time went on. I think Emmett even suggested "Cinder-fuckin'-ella" and "Prince fucking Charming" at one point. Rosalie was waiting outside the apartment building for us. It didn't take us too long to completely unload Alice's car as well as the U-Haul. Alice and I filled Rose in briefly on the car ride, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. Did you know he's on X-Box Live probation? For a week? For excessive swearing?" She said, cocking an eyebrow. Alice and I laughed.

"I should be more surprised than I am, right?" I asked, linking my arm through hers as we walked down the hallway to my…well, Edward's and my new apartment. As I walked in, it took a moment for it to sink in that this was all really happening. We all spent the day unpacking, and it was slowly starting to look more like home. Edward had ordered the basic furniture, and it had been delivered a few days before hand, but it was still a little bare with just my stuff in it. Our bedroom furniture was my favorite. It was a large, cherry wood four poster bed. The bedding, which Rosalie had picked out, was a white duvet comforter with red designs. Which, Jasper and Emmett argued over all morning.

Emmett said it was blood. Jasper said it was a village.

Yeah. Alice, Rose and I didn't even know how to respond to that.

The TV room was fully furnished as well. There was a large, floor to ceiling window along one wall, with red drapes. Also Rosalie. On the wall next to it, there was a large, cherry, entertainment center with a far too large TV and far too much stereo equipment.

Emmett…

I unpacked my DVD's onto the shelf, and laughed to myself. I don't think I'd be watching a movie without Edward or Emmett. After I was done unpacking those, I moved onto the pictures. I had so many…Edward and I, Edward and his family, his family, my family…it was insane. I scattered them throughout the apartment. Placing my favorites of Edward and I in _our_ room.

I was never going to get tired of saying that.

After a few exhausting hours of unpacking, we went over to Emmett's and Rosalie's for dinner. The girls were in the kitchen while Jasper and Emmett were in the living room playing Call of Duty. Rose handed me a glass of wine as she and Alice went to sit with the boys in the living room. I couldn't sit, I was too excited. I wandered around the foyer and kitchen looking at all of the pictures in their apartment. I'd never noticed it before, but there were hundreds of pictures of Rosalie and Emmett, and they were everywhere. I only saw three pictures that weren't exclusively of the two of them. One was a family picture taken at their wedding, another was of the eight of us (Jasper, Alice, Rose, Emmett, Edward, me, Carlisle and Esme), and the last was one of just Carlisle and Esme. I jumped when I heard Emmett's voice behind me.

"Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Um…your pictures…there sure are a lot". I teased him, taking a sip of my wine. He chuckled.

"Shut up. We're a very vain couple. We like to look at ourselves," he teased, refilling my wine glass. I smiled. Before I could say anything, Rosalie yelled for Emmett from the living room.

"Honey, will you put in the Michael Bublé CD? We need some mood music for dinner!" she asked. Emmett and I rolled our eyes. We were just doing pizza.

"Who the fuck is Michael Bublé?" He asked me. I sighed, walking back to the bedroom to find the CD for him.

Just then, my cell phone rang in my back pocket.

"Hello?" I answered, forgetting to check caller ID.

"Hey there love. How's our new apartment?" he asked.

"Hey, you!" I was surprised to hear from him. I thought he had a long shift at the hospital. "It's wonderful Edward, oh, I am so excited." I gushed. I found the CD and walked back out to hand it to Emmett. He stared at the cover like he had never seen it before. I have no idea how that was even possible. Every time I was here for dinner Rosalie put that CD on.

"Good, I'm glad. You had a good day then?" he asked. He sounded stressed.

"For the most part. The ride up here was interesting…Emmett and walkie talkies".

"Oh no, never a good combination," Edward laughed.

"Exactly. But other than that things have been good. I'm all moved in! So you and your crap should move in too."

"I will love, very soon. That's actually why I was calling, I'm coming a few days earlier than I originally thought. I'll be there tomorrow actually. Well, tomorrow night. I'll have to take a nap before I can come." He told me, and I nearly squealed in excitement.

"Edward, that's amazing! I'm so excited! But wait, what happened? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, love, don't worry. Everything is just fine. I just had another run in with Kate though, and she threatened me, nothing too bad, but she's been fired." He told me. Oh no. I knew she was bad news.

"Oh Edward, are you okay? She didn't hurt you or anything, right?" I asked, frantically.

"Love, please calm down, I am just fine, I promise. I just have to stay a few more hours to speak to my boss about what happened and type up a statement. Don't worry about it for another second, my Bella," he reassured.

"Alright, I trust you. So when will you be here?" I said immediately.

"Hopefully tomorrow night, so you'll only need to spend one night there alone. We need to break in that new bed," he said seductively. I groaned.

"Hurry home, then, baby," I said smiling into the phone. This man was so perfect.

"I will. Can you pass me to Jasper? I think he'll need to bring that U-Haul here to help me, I don't think all my stuff can fit into my Volvo". He said, changing the subject abruptly. Oh well, that was probably for the best. I didn't want to get all worked up here and then go back to spend the night alone.

"Sure can." I said, walking into the living room to give Jasper the phone.

"Oh, and Bella?" Edward asked, just before I handed him to Jasper.

"Yeah?"

"Hide the walkie talkies."

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: Edward moves in. **


	22. Welcome Home

**A.N: First of all, thank you for being so patient with me. It's been an insane week at school-serious roommate problems. Anyway, to reward you, I'm posting two chapters tonight. Warning, I wrote the lemon at the end, so it's a little awkward. I'm sorry, I tried. Review please?**

**Disclaimer: As always, I do not own anything Twilight, except for an Edward poster. **

**Edward's POV**

_May 21, 2010_

As I drove towards the city, I felt like a lot of weight had been lifted from my chest. As I left the hospital yesterday, my boss handed me a thin envelope. The results of the intern test I re-took. He said he'd accelerate the result process so that I could know where I stood before leaving town. It had taken me a good twenty minutes to be able to open the letter.

I'd passed.

I weaved in and out of traffic, trying desperately to make it into the city before rush hour. I was cutting it close. I didn't want to be stuck in gridlocked traffic. Luckily, Bella had convinced everyone to give us tonight to be alone.

I'd packed everything I could into my Volvo, but the rest was coming in a truck tomorrow. Everything I'd need for the next few days was in the car with me, though. I crossed the bridge, sighing in relief. I'd made it into the city before rush hour. I turned onto my street, and parked in the garage. I slung the duffel bag across my shoulder, and grabbed my laptop bag. I locked the car as I walked into our apartment building. I took the elevator up to our floor, and unlocked the front door. I'd barely walked through the doorway when I felt Bella launch herself into my arms, her arms locked around my neck. I laughed, and dropped my bags to the floor. I tightened my arms around her, and walked through the door, kicking it shut behind me. She pulled back slightly.

"Hi," she said, beaming. I laughed.

"Well hello." I tightened my grip on her waist and kissed her soundly on the lips. She moaned into my mouth, and wrapped her legs tightly around my waist.

"Welcome home," she whispered, pressing her forehead into mine. She untangled herself, and I set her gently on the feet, but held her hand, lacing her fingers with mine.

"So, show me what you've done with the place so far." I suggested, walking further into the apartment.

I was impressed. The only thing not fully unpacked, of her things, was the kitchen. There were a few boxes stacked in there, but there were picture frames scattered around the apartment, a few of our favorites had been hung on the walls, along with a few pieces of artwork. It was very homey already. I was going to get used to seeing Bella's and my things together in one place. My favorite room, by far, was our bedroom. Not just for the obvious reasons, but it was a very calming room. Bella had decorated it was lots of candles and more pictures, but just of the two of us in our bedroom. The room had an instant calming effect.

As she showed me the living room, I had to laugh. She had no idea how to work the stereo Emmett and I had picked out. She had her laptop on the coffee table and had been watching movies on that. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, love. I'll teach you how to use it later", I promised. She muttered a  
"thank you" and kissed me again.

"Before we get carried away, I have to unload the rest of my car," I told her, sighing. I wanted nothing but to carry her into our bedroom and take that new bed for a test drive.

Patience, Edward. I had to remind myself over and over again.

Bella helped me unload my car, and before I knew it, everything was in. Bella looked around with wide eyes.

"And there's more coming tomorrow?" she asked, biting that bottom lip. I laughed and nodded.

"How about we order some Chinese food and watch a movie or something?" I suggested. She nodded in excitement.

"Alright, you pick out a movie, and I will order the food". I went off into the kitchen, and dialed the number to Emmett's favorite place. They said they'd deliver in about a half an hour. I grabbed two beers out of the fridge.

Bella was sitting on the couch, holding a DVD case. She looked up at me with an angelic smile. I groaned.

"Bella, please not Pride and Prejudice again," I said, flopping onto the couch next to her. She scooted closer to me, and I slipped my arm around her shoulders.

"But this time it's not the long one…it's the Keira Knightly one and I haven't seen it yet".

Liar. She was a terrible liar. Before I even could call her out on it, she admitted it.

"Okay fine. I have seen it, but you haven't. Please?" she begged. I groaned. I knew that she'd get me to cave in eventually, so I decided to save time. I grabbed her chin with my thumb and forefinger, bringing her face to mine to kiss her.

"Fine, but I get to pick next time."

"Deal!" she said, handing me the DVD.

"So not only do I have to sit through this horrific movie, you're going to make me get up to put it in?" I mocked frustration. She just nodded.

"Alright," I groaned. I picked up the beer bottles from the table and handed her one.

"Before I do that…I have an announcement." I told her, raising my bottle to hers to toast.

"I passed my intern test" I said proudly. Her jaw dropped, and she grabbed both our beer bottles and set them on the coffee table, and jumped into my arms. She locked her arms around my neck, and pressed her lips to mine. I smiled through the kiss, shifting on the couch so that I was lying down and pulled her on top of me. I wrapped my arms around her waist.

She pulled my bottom lip into her mouth and I groaned. My hands slipped from her back to her ass. I moved them lower, cupping the backs of her thighs. I slipped my tongue into her mouth. Suddenly, the door buzzed. We both groaned. She sat up slightly, allowing me to get the door. I leaned down to kiss her lips, which were turned down in a pout.

"Later, baby", I whispered, going over to buzz up the food.

**Bella's POV**

"Congratulations, if I forgot to tell you that before all the kissing", I said, taking a bite of my egg roll. Edward laughed.

"Thank you," he smiled at me, and took another bite of his chicken. Edward was an expert with chopsticks, but unless I wanted to starve, I had to use a fork. In light of Edward's achievement, we decided to leave the movie for another night. The TV was on, but I had no idea what we were watching. We were mainly talking.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Alice needs us to take engagement pictures," I told him quickly.

Engagement pictures were the only thing that I hadn't argued with Alice about so far on the subject of the wedding. Edward seemed to agree because he just nodded.

"Sure, just let me know where and when," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

We finished dinner, laughing about the small wedding details that we hadn't even thought to consider that were as important to Alice as the clothes that we'd be wearing. I helped him clean up, and just as I finished throwing away the last of the containers, Edward grabbed my hips and spun me around, catching me in a passionate kiss that I nearly went weak at the knees. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and my hands went into his hair. Before I could even stop him to tell him to get to the bedroom first, he began walking me backwards toward our bedroom. I had no idea where we were when the back of my knees hit the frame of our bed. Edward lifted my shirt over my head, tossing it over his shoulder before resuming our kiss. My hands moved from his hair slowly down his neck and around the collar of his shirt. I unbuttoned it as quickly as I could and slipped my fingers through the shoulders, pushing it down his muscular form before finally joining my shirt on the floor. He unbuttoned and unzipped my pants before pushing them down my hips, holding my elbows so I could step out of them without injuring myself. He pushed me down on to the bed, but I whimpered in his mouth as he climbed on top of me.

"What?" he asked breathless, pulling away from the kiss to breathe. I tugged at his belt loops.

"You're pants…" I gasped, completely breathless. I wasn't sure if it was from lack of air or the intensity of the kiss. I blushed, knowing he could probably smelled my arousal. My panties were damp already and we hadn't really started anything. He cupped my cheek in his hand.

"Bella, your blush is beautiful," he said, leaning down to kiss me sweetly on the lips. I used his distraction to my advantage, flipping us so that I was on top. I straddled him before sliding down his body so that my wet, heated core was directly on top of his thickening erection. He gasped, arching his back at the contact. His fists grabbed at the sheets as his eyes darkened in passion and lust. I hurriedly unbuckled his pants and slipped them down his hips as he lifted himself so I could take them completely off, along with his boxers. I threw them to the floor. I slid back up his naked body, making sure to touch my core, once again, to his now throbbing cock. I bent down to kiss him, trailing my kisses from the corner of his mouth, down his jaw line to his neck, nibbling his ear on my way. He whimpered softly.

"Bella, please," he nearly cried, bucking his hips into mine, begging for some kind of friction. He reached up, quickly unfastening my bra, letting it fall off my shoulders and onto the bed beside him. His hands traveled over my breasts, pinching my nipples. He moved them down my sides and to the waistband of my black lace panties. He hooked his fingers into the sides and ripped them off. I blushed furiously. He grabbed the back of my neck, somewhat roughly, and pulled my head down so he could whisper into my ear. His teeth closed around it, biting it first.

"Get on your hands and knees," he nearly growled. I dropped my head to his shoulder. I felt my walls tighten in anticipation. I moved painstakingly slow, knowing I was driving him crazy.

"Now, Isabella," he snapped. I hurriedly got off him, and crawled on my hands and knees to the middle of the bed. I felt him move behind me, and his hands snaked around to the front of my thighs, roughly pulling my legs farther apart. I moaned loudly, and heard Edward chuckle behind me. His erection was pressing into my backside, and I bucked my hips back, begging for Edward to just take me already. My core was aching, I was sure that I would have a heart attack soon. I needed him inside me. Edward's fingers traveled from cupping my breasts down my stomach, to my abdomen before finally brushing against my wet, throbbing core. I gasped at the contact, my head falling and my back arching in pleasure.

"Bella," he groaned, probably surprised at the amount of moisture that had accumulated between my legs.

"Edward, baby, please…I need you…" I moaned. He was only too happy to oblige. His hands moved to my hips and he thrust into my violently. I grunted. I blushed at the noise that had escaped my lips.

"Fuck…Bella", Edward gasped, obviously incredibly turned on by that noise. He slammed into me, and before long we were both screaming each others name. I was amazed at how deep he was able to get in this position and had a hard time warding off my orgasm after the first thrust.

"Edward…I can't….please…I can't hold back anymore," I whimpered, nearly clenching my teeth. His hands moved across my stomach and between my legs, pinching my clit. I screamed. I was sure we were waking up neighbors at this point.

"Let go, baby," Edward encouraged, still pinching my clit in cadence with his thrusts. I screamed, feeling my walls clamp down on him and I felt him explode inside of me. We both soared over the edge together. I was still grinding my hips against his, both of us panting, breathing heavily. I collapsed onto my stomach, and Edward collapsed to the side of me. I was panting hard, trying to catch my breath. I looked over at him, and we both laughed. Our hair was sticking up in every which way, and we were both panting like dogs. He pulled my back against his chest and he kissed my bare shoulder.

"That was amazing love. I think our bed has officially been broken in," he laughed.

"I'll say," I agreed quickly. We were both asleep in minutes, still naked in the middle of the bed on top of the covers.

I awoke to a very strange feeling. Was I dreaming? As I began to gain consciousness, I became more aware of my surroundings. Someone was holding my legs apart, and there was a strange feeling between my legs. I was still too tired to place it. Suddenly, I awoke with a start, involuntarily moaning. I was lying on my back, Edward holding my knees apart. Edward's tongue was lapping at my clit. My back arched off the bed. Edward's grip on my knees tightened as I instinctively tried to close my legs. The pleasure was too much; I could feel my orgasm building in the pit of my stomach. I reached down to run a hand through Edward's hair. One hand slipped from my knee, disappearing between my legs. As Edward's tongue circled my clit, he inserted two fingers, pumping them in and out. I clenched my eyes shut, and fisted Edward's hair. I knew I was pulling his hair, holding him to my core.

"Unnghh…Edward…"I moaned. He got the message, pumping harder as my walls began to pulse on his fingers. He twisted his fingers around, bending them slightly towards my belly button. I screamed his name as my walls clamped down on my fingers. I completely came out of my sleep as I let my orgasm wash over me. Edward slid back up the bed, propping himself up, smiling at me smugly as I recovered. I just stared at him, panting, trying to recover to tell him how amazing that was, but I had no words.

"Good morning?" he asked, his hand cupping my breast. I nodded frantically.

"That was a very good way to wake up," I told him honestly, leaning my head over slightly to kiss him.

"Noted," he smiled.

"But it's your turn". I laughed, climbing on top of him once I had completely recovered, only to get hot and bothered again.

It was going to be a very long morning…


	23. Packing

**A/N: Review, please? I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, it's just some fluff/filler, but I think it's kinda cute. **

**Disclaimer: Still not the owner of Twilight. **

**Bella's POV**

_May 30, 2010_

My internship at the New York Times was starting in 11 days. I was so excited. Edward and I were completely and officially moved in. Every box had finally been unpacked. Right now, we were getting ready to fly back to Washington for my father and Sue's wedding. My internship started Monday, June 10th, and we'd get home on Saturday night (June 8th).

Even though I love Edward with all of my heart, it was still an adjustment to live together. But the pros of the situation far outweighed the cons. For example, men are complete slobs. Rosalie had warned me before Edward and I moved in that this may be an issue, but I didn't believe that Edward would be as bad as Emmett. I was way wrong. The mess only got really bad when he and Emmett played X-Box Live together.

Edward had started his internship at the hospital and loved it. So far, there were no crazy girls following him around. He said his boss was awesome, and let Edward do as many procedures by himself as they could allow. We had also decided to have a "date" night, alone, every Saturday night. We had realized that with living together, we stopped dating, so we instituted "date night" and it had been a lot of fun, and gave both of us something to look forward to during our busy weeks. We also went out with Rose and Emmett a lot. It was nice to have a married couple to look up to. Rose and Emmett helped us work through a lot of our arguments that took place when we first moved in.

I was doing laundry so that I could pack tonight and Edward was working until 8 or 9 tonight, so Rose was coming over for dinner. Currently, I was sitting in the middle of Edward's and my very large walk in closet, staring, completely overwhelmed at the amount of clothes in her.

_Alice. _I groaned. She'd been sneaking new clothes into my closet. I knew it. I needed something to wear to the rehearsal dinner and then a dress to the ceremony and reception. I jumped when I heard someone clear their throat behind me.

"Oh, Rose, you scared me," I said, putting a hand over my heart and felt it hammering against my chest. She laughed.

"Sorry, I thought I'd come over early to see if you needed any help…looks like I was right," she observed raising an eyebrow at me.

"I'm glad you did. I'm trying to find something decent to wear this week."

Rosalie nodded and went straight for the dresses first, looking through them. She found my black dress and held it out.

"Alright, you at least need to bring this. It's simple, classy and is always appropriate. I'd say this would be perfect for the rehearsal dinner." She handed me the dress, and I set it into the hanging luggage. I really loved this dress. It was simple and strapless. It had an empire waist and was pleated, falling to just above my knee. It was Edward's second favorite dress of mine.

"Okay, now for a dress for the wedding. What time is the ceremony?" Rose asked.

"Three in the afternoon and it's outside. The reception is at The Lodge." I told her, looking at the invitation I had on the floor. She continued to flip through the dresses before pulling out her cell phone. I sprinted towards her, nearly tripping over the luggage on the floor of the closet. I launched myself at her, knocking the cell phone out of her hands.

"No!" I yelled. Rose stared at me like I was out of my mind. Then, I heard a voice behind me.

"What the hell is going on in here? What are you doing to my fiancée?" Edward chuckled at the scene in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped, irritated. He raised an eyebrow.

"I asked you first" he countered.

"I asked you second," I said, narrowing my eyes, putting my hands on my hips. I heard Rose bust into laughter, but when I turned to glare at her, she immediately faked a cough. Edward answered first.

Good, because I sure as hell was no backing down.

"The hospital was slow, so my boss let me go home so I could pack. I'm still on call though, so if something big happens I'll have to go back," he explained, a smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He was desperately trying to hold back laughter.

I wanted to slap that smile right off his face.

"Now, you were going to tell me what the hell was going on in here." He said, shifting his gaze between Rosalie and I. I didn't answer. I glanced at Rose. She rolled her eyes.

"I was _trying_ to help Bella find a dress to wear to the wedding, and she's being difficult," she said, saying the last part through clenched teeth.

"So she felt the need to tackle you?" he was losing the battle with the laughter now, and I felt irrational anger bubbling to the surface. I glared at my fiancé, and he recovered into a fake coughing fit, as Rose had. I crossed my arms across my chest and rolled my eyes.

"Rose! You got me sick". He scolded.

"Are you both done?" I asked through clenched teeth. "I don't want you calling Alice because I do not have time to go shopping for a new dress. She will drag me all over the city, all day, and I do not have time for that!" I yelled, only getting more frustrated with the tears that were threatening to fall. I stalked out of the room, brushing against Edward's body on my way out. I went into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking the door behind me.

**Edward's POV**

Rose and I just stared at each other in stunned silence.

What the hell just happened?

Rose smiled and shook her head, trying to be comforting.

"Don't worry, Edward, you'll get used to it," she said, moving to pat my shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, still confused.

"Honey, you're a doctor. Use your brain," she hinted, tapping my forehead. I almost heard the audible click in my brain. This was going to be an interesting week.

"Why don't you go over and visit Emmett. He's working from home today," she said, before waving in the direction of the bathroom. "I'll handle this."

I nodded, and walked out of the apartment and over to Emmett's, knocking quickly on the door. I heard him thumping around the apartment. There was a large thud, and I chuckled, knowing he'd probably fallen down. Then, more banging around. I knocked again.

"Just a second," he yelled, sounding slightly panicked.

"Emmett, it's just me, open up!" I shouted, exasperated. What the hell had he been doing? A few moments later, he opened the door.

"Edward! What are you doing here?" he asked, tucking his shirt back in. I narrowed my eyes, and stepped around him, taking in the appearance of the apartment. I turned again to face him.

"You're not, you know, cheating on Rose, right?" I clarified, hoping that I was overreacting. He looked shocked at the accusation.

"What?! No! What the hell, Edward? Don't you know me better than that?!" he asked angrily.

"Sorry, Emmett, it's just you wouldn't answer the door right away…and then I heard you thumping around in here, and then tucking in your shirt…" He rolled his eyes.

"Alright, fine. But if you tell Rose this, you die. I was supposed to work from home today, but I got…bored…so I decided to play video games for awhile." He explained. I nodded in understanding before going to sink into the couch. He laughed.

"So you got kicked out of the apartment, huh?" he asked, roughing clapping me on my back. Emmett didn't know his own strength. He very nearly knocked the wind out of me.

"Not really…I came in, and Bella was tackling Rose, and I made the mistake of asking her what she was doing. She got pretty angry and locked herself in the bathroom." I explained. Emmett just chuckled again. I was getting really sick of that.

"Edward, you're a doctor, I'm rather surprised that you don't know what's going on,"

"I do know, although I didn't realize it until Rose pointed it out." I laughed at myself.

"Want to know my trick?" Emmett asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really," I admitted. He ignored me.

"Well, it only works if Bella is on the pill. You just look at the pills, and then the white ones usually-" I cut him off there.

"Emmett, I'm a doctor, I know how the pills work." I told him, rolling my eyes.

"Alright, enough of this talk. Call of Duty?"

**Bella's POV**

I didn't know why I was being so irrational. Okay, I did know, but it was frustrating and embarrassing. I blew my nose with some toilet paper. I heard a knock at the door, but before I could call to the person to come in, the door cracked open.

"Bella? Honey, it's just me. Can I come in?" Rose asked, kindly.

"Yeah," I choked. She stepped in and closed the door behind her. She gave me a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry for calling Alice," she said sincerely. "I was just trying to help".

"I know, Rose. Thank you. And I'm sorry for reacting like that. I'm not usually this emotional before my period."

"Yes you are, but it's okay. It's a stressful few weeks. Don't worry. I sent Edward over to play X Box with Emmett." I looked up at her confused.

"I thought you said he was working from home today?" She snorted at my question.

"I'm not an idiot, Bella. He'll work from home for five minutes, get bored and play Call of Duty. I'll bet that he's sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos, his shirt untucked and that headset on his head." She rolled her eyes. I laughed, knowing she was probably right.

"Now, I think you need to rest," she said, holding a hand out to help me up. "Why don't you make a list of all the last minute stuff you need to do, and I'll do what I can, and have the boys help." She said kindly.

"Thanks Rose," I nodded, and we walked out of the bathroom. I found a piece of paper to make her a list.

"I just need Edward to add his suit that he wants to wear to that hanging bag, and have him pack whatever else he needs in our suitcase…"

"Okay, he can do that." Rose said.

"And then I needed to go to the store to pick up a couple of last minute things."

"Just give me your list and I can do that." Rose nodded.

I scribbled down a list quickly of the things I knew I still needed for the trip.

_Shampoo, Conditioner, tampons, engagement card, Advil. _I handed the list to Rose.

"Also, I'm going to call Alice. She knows my size, I'm sure she could find me something without my being there. In fact, I think she prefers when I'm not there," I laughed.

"Alright, is that all you need done?" she asked, looking over the list.

"Yeah. That's it." I told her confidently, after thinking for a moment.

"Alright, well I need to get to work. Bella, please rest. If you need anything, the boys are at my place. I'll send Edward back in a bit to pack himself." She ordered, giving me a hug before she left the apartment. As soon as she left, I called Alice. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey Alice, it's Bella. I was wondering if you would do me a very large favor?" I pleaded.

"Of course, Bella. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if you could find me a dress for the wedding? Rose and I can't find anything suitable in my closet. I'm wearing the black dress for the dinner the night before, but I need something for the ceremony."

"Of course Bella. I'll find Edward a tie to match the dress, too. I'll just give it to you once you get here, though, I came to Seattle early." She said, almost apologetically.

"Thanks, Alice." I sighed in relief.

"You okay?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, Rose gave me strict orders to lay down and relax for the rest of the day, so I'm going to follow orders."

After I thanked Alice again and hung up my phone, I put it on silent, and plugged it into the charger in the kitchen. I went into our bedroom and changed into a pair of sweatpants that I had cut into Capri length. I was in the mood for a chick flick. I went into the living room and found The Holiday, and brought it back to the bedroom. The TV that Edward and I had in our bedroom was much less complicated than the TV in the living room. I hit play and closed the blinds. I felt my stress level decreasing rapidly as I got underneath the covers. This was the most comfortable bed I had ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. The fact that I shared it with the most gorgeous man in existence was just a perk. Throughout the movie, I drifted in and out of sleep. About the Mr. Napkinhead part, Edward came and got in bed with me.

"What the hell are you watching?" he asked, pulling my back to his chest, kissing my shoulder.

"The Holiday. I'm following Rose's orders to relax." I defended. Edward and I very rarely agreed on a movie, and it was a rare occasion that I could get him to watch a chick flick. When I did, I had to use sex as a bargaining chip. Not that I'm complaining.

"I'm glad. I just came back to tell you that I'm going to go to the store. Do you need anything else other than what you have on that list?" he asked, kissing the hollow beneath my ear.

"Nope, just the list." I said smiling, reaching a hand back to run my fingers through his hair. His hand moved underneath the fabric of my t-shirt, across my stomach, and traced the underwire of my bra. I moaned involuntarily.

"I thought you were going to the store…" I whispered. He laughed.

"I am, I'm going, I love you." he kissed my temple and climbed back out of bed.

"I love you too," I called as he shut the door.

Edward was only gone for about a half an hour. That was impressive for an errand in New York City.

"Hey babe, I'm impressed that you're back so soon." I told him as I sat up in bed.

He chuckled, and leaned over to kiss me.

"I need to go pack" he said, moving to get off the bed. I quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back in bed and on top of me.

"Bella…I really need to pack, per your request," he said, brushing the hair out of my eyes. I groaned.

"Alright, I'll come and help you." I smiled, kissing his jaw.

Edward looked just as lost in our closet as I had. He handed me his suit, and I zipped it into the garment bag.

"Alright, this one's ready to go," I grunted, dragging it to the door.

"Sweetheart, leave it. I'll get it." He said, grabbing my wrist. I smiled, and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind him, pressing my chest into his back. I kissed his shoulder blades through his shirt.

"Bella," he moaned. "how do you expect me to pack?"

"I'll help you." I suggested. "Oh, that reminds me. Alice said that she'd get you a tie to go with whatever dress she finds for me for the ceremony. So you only need a tie to go to the rehearsal dinner, and I'm wearing black, so…" I trailed off when he turned in my arms with an eyebrow raised.

"What?" I asked, confused by his facial expression.

"You're allowing Alice to pick out a dress for you, without your prior approval?"

"Yeah. I don't have a choice, I don't have anything here to wear," I complained. He just smiled and nodded.

"I know, I'm sorry," he apologized, kissing my forehead. I made my way back out to the kitchen to make sure he'd gotten everything from the store. He'd gotten everything from the list, including the tampons, which I had temporarily forgotten were on there. I checked the box, as I was very particular about which ones I bought.

Exactly right. Edward laughed behind me. I turned around, holding up the box.

"I'm impressed," I said, raising an eyebrow. He smiled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Bella. I'm not completely blind, I do pay attention." He rolled his eyes.

"You pay attention to what kind of tampons I buy?" I asked. He blushed slightly.

"I know you're particular…" he trailed off. I smiled, and crossed the room to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you." I hurried into the bathroom so I could fall into a fit of laughter in peace.


	24. Charlie's Wedding

**Author's Note: First of all, Bella is not pregnant. Secondly, I felt like this chapter was rushed, but when I tried to make it more detailed, it majorly sucked. There's a little smut in this chapter for 'ya, I hope you like it! Review please? :) **

**Bella's POV**

_June 7__th__, 2010_

My father, originally, had planned to get married in July, but they'd changed that quickly. They didn't want to get married outside during the hottest part of the summer. It was a rare day in Forks, Washington; the sun had actually come out for my fathers wedding. The ceremony was outside, near The Lodge, which is where the reception is. Edward and I had been here for a week, and I was already ready to go home. We were leaving tomorrow afternoon. I'd promised to clean up the house for him and return his tuxedo. Charlie and Sue were leaving for Lake Tahoe in California for their honeymoon late tonight. It wasn't too bad of a drive, so they decided to just do that. All the final preparations on my fathers wedding made both Edward and I very excited to get married. It was really good to see Edward so excited. Esme was completely floored at his excitement to be involved in every detail of the wedding from now in. He had even started fighting Alice on some of it.

I was standing in my old bathroom putting the finishing touches on my hair when Edward barged in, mumbling cuss words and trying to loosen his tie. I had to fight back laughter at his appearance. He was in boxers, a dress shirt and tie.

"Excuse me?" I said, a little annoyed.

"What?" he asked, completely oblivious. He was much too busy checking himself out in the mirror. I rolled my eyes.

"Edward, I'm trying to put eyeliner on here. Unless you want me to look like a whore, you need to back away and stand still for five minutes. And stop messing with your damned tie. You have to keep it on at least until the reception." I told him firmly. He kept mumbling profanities at me until I threw my eyeliner back into the bag.

"Edward, back in the bedroom, let's go," I said, nearly dragging him back into my room. Charlie and Sue were already gone, it was just Edward and I in the house. I shoved him back so he was lying on his back on my bed, his feet dangling off the edge. He propped himself on his elbow, looking at me with a very confused expression. I grabbed a pillow from the top of the bed and tossed it on the floor between his feet. I knelt between his legs, pushing his knees further apart. I saw his cock twitch as he realized what was happening. I kept eye contact with him as I pulled his boxers off and took his erection in my hands. I kissed the tip of him, circling the tip softly with my tongue. I pulled away, and he moaned in disappointment.

"Are you going to stop whining?" I asked him, as seductively as I could. He only nodded, his head falling back on the bed as I took him into my mouth. I was determined to make this the best blowjob I'd ever given him. I wanted him thinking about it all day so that he'd fuck me good and hard. We had the house all to ourselves tonight and I wanted to make good use of it. We had to be conscious of neighbors in our New York City apartment.

I hollowed out my cheeks, sucking him hard. He groaned, thrusting his hips, driving his dick further into my mouth. I bobbed my head up and down, scraping my teeth gently down his length. He was squirming all over the bed now, trying desperately to starve off his orgasm to make this last longer. I reached a hand further between his legs to lightly tug on his balls, a technique Rosalie had told me about. Edward very nearly jumped off the bed, crying out in pleasure. When he spoke, his voice sounded like he was sobbing.

"Bella…baby…please, please baby. Oh God…Bella…". I smiled, picking up the pace a little. I moaned at the sight of my big strong fiancé squirming in pleasure on my bed, his eyes clenched shut, his hands in fists. He must have felt the moan, because with a scream, he let himself fall off the edge. I continued to suck up and down his shaft, cleaning him up. When I released him from his mouth and stood. His eyes were closed, and he was panting, trying to catch his breath. I smiled, bending down to kiss him lightly on the lips, and left him in the bedroom to recover.

As I sat next to Edward during my fathers wedding ceremony, I knew that my intentions this morning were working great. Edward was looking at me with nothing but love and lust, and his hands were roaming up and down my exposed thigh, dipping just under the hem of the dress. The preacher announced them Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Swan, and I felt a surge of pride as he kissed her. They turned to walk down the aisle, unable to take their eyes off one another. Edward took my hand, and we followed after them. He bent down to kiss my temple. The Lodge was only a block away, but Edward helped me into the car, not releasing my hand until it was absolutely necessary. When he climbed into the drivers side of the car, he reached for my hand again, and kissed my wrist.

"I can't wait to marry you on November 12th next year, Isabella," he said lovingly. I leaned in to kiss him, and his hands braided into my hair, holding me to his face. I slid my tongue along his bottom lip, and he immediately opened his mouth. He pulled away a minute later, reluctantly. He sighed, pressing his forehead to mine. His hand rested on my knee and ghosted up the inside of my thigh. As it slipped beneath the hem of my dress, and kept going, I pulled back to look into his eyes. He smiled, pushing the material of my black lacy panties aside, and one finger slipped into me. I moaned, my head falling back to the headrest and my legs spreading further on instinct. He removed his finger, pinched my clit and moved my panties back in place. He kissed the hollow beneath my ear. I shivered.

"Good, you're already wet for me. I want you when we get home tonight."

And without another word, he sucked his finger clean, threw the car into drive and sped off to The Lodge. I was completely speechless, I just kept staring at him, feeling a blush creep up my neck. When he parked, he rolled his eyes and me, and took my face between his hands. He kissed the tip of my nose.

"Love, why are you blushing?" he asked softly, kissing both my cheeks, laughing softly.

"Uh-I-when-you," I groaned in frustration. Great, I couldn't even speak properly.

"Bella, love, you need to stop being embarrassed about sex. We're engaged."

"I'm not embarrassed Edward, I insisted, refusing to meet his eyes. He smiled crookedly and kissed me softly, before releasing my face and getting out of the car. He came over to open my door and help me out of the car. I linked my arm through his and he led me inside.

"Bella, have we decided which city we're getting married in yet?" he asked. I shook my head and laughed.

"No, Alice and I are still fighting about it," I told him. He turned to me, and stopped.

"Bella, can you and I fight about stuff like that from now on?" he asked, a little shyly. I beamed, and stoop on my tip toes to kiss him.

"Of course. I'd love nothing more". I told him honestly.

He'd be much easier to fight with.

He led me into the beautifully decorated reception hall. The wedding and reception were small, only about 100 people. We ate dinner with Edward's family, and then Edward basically dragged me onto the dance floor by my toenails for a dance.

"Bella, love, you will dance with me without a fight at our wedding, right?" he asked once we were twirling around the dance floor. I smiled and rested my head on his chest.

"Only for the slow ones".

"Deal," He kissed the top of my head.

I danced with my father for the traditional father/daughter dance and Edward had to be escorted from the room he was laughing so hard. When he took me back into his arms for the last dance of the night, he bent down to whisper in my ear.

"I can wait to see that again at our wedding,". I rolled my eyes.

"Do you want to get laid tonight or not?" I growled in his ear. He stopped the teasing immediately, and I gave him a smug smile.

They made the announcement that Charlie and Sue were leaving. I ran over and hugged them both, a small, solitary tear rolling down my cheek as I kissed my dad's.

"I love you, daddy. I'm so glad you're happy," I hugged him once more tightly and turned to Sue, hugging her while Edward shook my fathers hand in congratulations.

"Take care of him for me, Sue?" I asked softly. She nodded her head in reassurance and kissed my cheek. As we watched them, Edward stood behind me, my back pressed into his chest, his arms wrapped around my waist. I leaned my head against his shoulder and very nearly fell asleep in his arms. He whispered in my ear that he loved me, and kissed my temple again.

"I can't wait for our wedding, Edward," I told him, spinning in his arms so that my chest was against his. He looked down at me and cocked his head, confused by my words.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully. I tightened my arms, pulling myself closer to him.

"I can't wait for November 12th of next year". I told him honestly.


	25. Renee

**A/N: I am so, very, truly sorry for taking so long to update. I have been beyond stressed out, and was unable to write. This chapter is painful, for personal reasons, but was healing for me to write. I know you all wanted a lemon, but I was just completely unable to write a decent one, so I took it out. If you'd really like one, or like to help me write one, let me know, and I can go back and add it later, but I really wanted to update this now. Please let me know what you think. =) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. **

Edward didn't say anything at first, he just stared at me in stunned silence. We were pulled out of our private moment by saying goodbye to the guests, but as soon as we were in the car for the evening, he brought it up again.

"So you want to move the wedding up?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows, but only slightly in confusion.

"Yeah, I mean, I've been thinking, and this is all just too big for me. I just want our families there. I don't have any friends or anything that I want to invite. I say we just take one big vacation someone with our families and get married there. I don't want this to be a big production; I want to be able to enjoy our wedding. I saw how Rose's wedding was and how stressed out she got, and I don't want that," I said in a rush, hoping he wouldn't be offended. He looked at me in shock, and then my favorite crooked smile widened on his lips.

"Bella, I was thinking the exact same thing, but I didn't want to say anything because I thought you wanted all the plans Alice was making," he laughed, kissing my hand. I shook my head.

"No, I just went along with it because I thought it was what you all wanted." I shrugged.

"Alright then, I will call Alice in the morning and tell her to cancel the wedding plans. And Bella, is it okay if you and I plan this one?" he asked shyly.

"I would love nothing more," I told him honestly.

------------------------------------------

**Edward's POV**

_Monday June 10__th__, 2010_

Today was Bella's first day at the New York Times. I had never seen her so nervous; she was tripping over everything this morning. She was shaking so badly I had to help her get dressed, even. Not that I'm complaining.

We'd had a perfect week in Washington. After the wedding, Bella and I made love for hours. We slept in like teenagers, not getting out of bed until after 2pm. Bella had confided in me on the flight back that she was concerned about Renee and Phil's absence. Originally, Renee and Phil were supposed to attend, but they never showed, and didn't answer their phones when we called them the day after the wedding. Bella and I both decided that it was probably for the best; that might have been a little awkward. Bella and I were both very excited with our new wedding plans. Alice, surprisingly, had been more excited about our decision to switch it to a destination wedding. We still hadn't had time to sit down and discuss where we wanted to get married, but at the moment, we were thinking Ireland or Italy. Only family would be invited-just Bella's parents and step parents, and my parents, brothers and sisters.

I was standing at the nurse's station and ready to go on my rounds; but I was checking over the charts before I did. Today I was on the cancer wing. I had pretty much ruled out oncology, but this hospital was known around the world for their cancer wing. We had innovative technology and were one of the leading cancer specialists in the world. I always came home bummed out after working up here. It was heartbreaking to watch this wicked disease slowly kill these wonderful people that I got so attached to. It was one of the reasons my boss had me work in this wing pretty frequently. I needed to learn to distance myself, just a little, from my patients. It would be too difficult to be a doctor if I got so attached to each and every one.

One of the nurses, Ashley, walked over and hand me another chart. I shook my head.

"Sorry Ashley, I've already got a handful," I apologized, tapping the large stack of medical charts resting on the ledge beside me. She shook her head.

"I know, I'm sorry Dr. Cullen but this patient is adamant. She will only see you". Ashley said with an apologetic smile. I grimaced internally.

If the name on the top of that chart is Kate I am going to lose it…

**Bella POV**

_Monday June 10, 2010_

Today was my first day of my internship at one of the greatest newspapers in the United States. I had never been so full of conflicting emotions before in all my life. I was terrified, ecstatic and most of all nervous. It turns out that my nerves make me completely clumsy. I was surprised Edward was able to keep his patience with me. He'd threatened to slip something in my orange juice if I didn't calm down. I was sitting my new cubicle, completely in awe. How had I gotten here? Me, Bella Swan. It was still surreal to me.

I opened the file folder that was on my desk. My first assignment! I squealed internally in excitement. I nearly burst into laughter when I saw what it was. I was teaming up with one of the more experienced staff writers to write a piece on the cancer wing at the hospital Edward worked at. I wondered if he knew the name of this doctor I had to set up an interview with. There was a contact sheet with the name of two doctors, both oncologists. Dr. Whitekettle and Dr. Hannigan. I picked up the phone with a smile and called the hospital to set up interviews with each of them.

**Edward's POV**

_Monday June 10, 2010_

I flipped open the file in confusion. Who the hell would request me by name? How would they know that I was working here? Since this was technically an "internship", I floated around to different areas. I nearly passed out when I saw the name that was staring back at me on the page. I was too scared to read through the background information of the chart.

_Renee M. Dwyer, previously, Renee M. Swan._

I saw that Ashley was staring at me in concern and confusion.

"Dr. Cullen? Are you alright?" I couldn't answer her. I just nodded my head before burying it in my hands. I took a deep breath to steady myself.

_Calm down, Edward. Maybe she just wanted to talk to you about something, and was told you were on the oncology wing. She's fine, you just saw her at the engagement party at the end of April and she was fine. _

I calmed down then. Yes, of course that was it. She was probably in town to surprise Bella and I. But..then what of the medical chart? I couldn't take the suspense anymore, so I grabbed her chart, tucking it under my arm.

"Ashley, do you mind if I leave these charts her for a moment so I can check in with this patient?" I asked politely. Ashley smiled and nodded her head.

"Sure Dr. Cullen. I'll keep an eye on them for you." She promised. I thanked her and made my way to room 312, where Renee supposedly was. When I arrived in front of the large wooden door, I had to steady myself. Why the hell was I so nervous? I'd met her before. I took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the door before entering. I walked in cautiously, and gasped at the sight of Renee. There was something most definitely wrong with her. She was much thinner than the last time I had seen her. She also looked gaunt and tired. There were purple bags beneath her once lively eyes. It upset me to see her like this. She reminded me so much of Bella. I didn't want to see either of them looking this ill, ever.

"Hi, Edward," she greeted me with a smile. It snapped me out of my thoughts. I tried my hardest to return her smile. I set the chart on the table next to her bed and sat in the chair next to her. I needed to sit before I passed out. She looked confused.

"Why do you look so upset, Edward?"

Okay, that question made me a little mad.

"Why do you think I am so upset, Renee?" I snapped, jumping up from my chair, beginning to pace back and forth at the end of her bed. She smiled in apology at me, not speaking again. She just watched me closely. I went back over and grabbed the chart, flipping it open, beginning to read. I knew it was obvious why she was here, but things weren't adding up. Bella would have told me something like this.

"Bella doesn't know," she said quietly, staring at her hands in her lap," It was almost as if she could hear my thoughts. "No one does, actually." She confessed, taking a deep breath. I sat on the edge of the bed, near her feet. The chart was lying forgotten on my lap. I sat and waited for her to explain. I saw the unshed tears gather in the corner of her eyes.

"Quite some time ago, I went in for a routine mammogram. They called me, the results were abnormal. They wanted to run more tests." She said, waving her hand, "but I didn't think much of it, because this happens quite frequently. My friends have had similar stories." She paused for a moment, finally looking up and into my eyes. "But this time…I knew. I knew deep down that it was cancer. They had to go through several more tests to confirm the diagnosis. They referred me to an oncologist, but I never went. I couldn't go. I didn't want to tell Phil or Bella, and they would both know if I went ahead with a surgery. Originally, I just put it off for a better time, but things never seemed right. Remember when you and Bella were dating, and I called to tell her about Charlie being sick? I was so frantic and scared, watching Charlie go through all that. I'd already been diagnosed at that point. I didn't want to take any attention away from Charlie. I don't regret my decision, at all, but I need something for the pain. I knew you were here, working, Bella told me your schedule offhandedly. I was going to come to the ER to see you, but when I asked for you, the nurse told me that you were working here today…" she trailed off. I was just staring at her, and I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open in shock. I was frozen here on the bed, unable to move.

"Renee…you have to tell Bella…" I said softly, putting my hand reassuringly on her ankle. She looked horrified at my suggestion and shook her head wildly.

"No, Edward. I'm not going to tell her, and you can't." she said stubbornly, crossing her arms across her chest.

If I had any doubts as to whether or not this woman was really Bella's mother, they were gone now. Bella must have gotten her stubbornness from her. Or partly from her, because Charlie was stubborn too.

"Renee, I cannot keep a secret like this from Bella. I refuse to start our lives together with a lie. This would ruin our relationship and you know it." I said, close to panicking.

"Edward," Renee said, sounding mad now. "You can, and you will keep this a secret from Bella. Doctor/patient confidentiality, remember? You, by law, cannot tell her."

"Renee, you cannot do this to me!" I was panicking full out now.

"Edward, I came here because I just need enough medicine to help me sleep, or maybe something for the pain too? Just to make me comfortable. I'm sure it won't be long…" she trailed off. I needed to get out of this room, and out of this hospital. I needed to talk to someone. I needed my father, and I needed him five minutes ago.

I knew at this point, there was no reasoning with Renee. I stood from the bed, grabbing the chart.

"Are you going to come and visit, or are you going to return to Arizona without another word?" I asked, trying my hardest to not sound cold.

"You know I can't see her like this Edward. She would know something is up. I am hoping to get some sleep here tonight, and maybe see her when I'm released and look better." She admitted softly, refusing to meet my eyes again.

"Renee, I will keep your secret, as required by law. You can stay with us for a night or two if you need to, but I cannot be there when you talk to Bella. My face would give everything away. I'm…I'm very sorry that you made this decision, and have to do this alone. We helped Charlie get through, and we would have made sure you got through it as well," I told her, trying to push the lump in my throat down. "But Renee, please do not be insulted by this, but I cannot be your doctor. First of all, I'm only an intern here. I cannot prescribe anything, anyway. I will send in Dr. Whitekettle. He's a very kind man and will help you with whatever you need…to be comfortable. But as your almost son in law, I refuse to aid you in this. As of right now, I'm sorry, but I'm just your daughters fiancé." I told her honestly, shrugging my shoulders. She nodded.

"I get it, Edward. I'm not offended." I walked over to her, and hugged her tightly.

"Take care of her for me?" she asked through tears. I just nodded, still fighting against my own. I stood quickly, needing to get out of this room.

"I'll just go get Dr. Whitekettle for you. But Renee, please think about this. I won't say anything to Bella, but please…for her sake, please tell her. Don't make me do this. Please don't make me keep a secret like this from her. If she found out that I assisted you in this…she would never forgive me," I begged with her, a tear sliding down my cheek. Renee looked taken aback by my impassioned plea. She nodded.

"I will think about it, Edward." She promised. I nodded and walked out of the room and back to the nurse's station where Ashley was.

"Ashley, please refer this patient to Dr. Whitekettle's care. And tell him that she's a very special patient and to please take care of her. It's my fiancée's mother." Ashley's eyes widened.

"Oh Edward, I am so sorry!"

"Thanks". I said robotically, reaching for the phone. I dialed the number to Dr. O'Neil's office. He was my boss, and a very kind one at that. I needed out of this hospital. Luckily for me, Dr. O'Neil was still in his office, because he picked up on the second ring.

"Yes, Dr. O'Neil, it's Dr. Cullen. My fiancée's mother just came in as a patient on the cancer wing, and we had no idea that she was sick. Would you mind if I took the rest of the day off to decided next steps?"

"Edward, I am so sorry to hear this. Please, take as much time as you need, and please do not hesitate if there is anything I can do to help." He said kindly. A thought flashed into my head.

"Actually, Dr. O'Neil, if you wouldn't mind doing me a favor?"

"Anything Edward, name it." He said immediately.

"Well, she was diagnosed quite some time ago, and has forgone treatment, and hasn't told anyone about this, other than me, because I am held under doctor/patient confidentiality, I by law, cannot tell my fiancée about her mother's illness. I was wondering if you could send in a psych consult? See if there is anything we can do to help her change her mind?" I asked, pleading with him to agree,

"Of course Edward, I will see to it myself. I have your cell phone number; I will call you as soon as I find something out. Take care." He said. I thanked him profusely before hanging up the phone myself. I gave Ashley the rest of my cases to give to another doctor and quickly made my way to the Volvo, calling my father as I went.

**Next Chapter: Edward Calls Carlisle for advice. **


	26. Telling Bella

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter. It inspired me so much I decided to knock this chapter out tonight. =) Thanks again for reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story. You're all amazing. **

**EPOV**

My father didn't pick up his cell phone, so I left a voicemail and drove home, not sure of what to do. I had to talk to someone neutral about this or I was going to go absolutely mad. I had arrived back home and my father still hadn't called back. Maybe I would go talk to Rose and Emmett tonight. As I walked down the hallway, I noticed a familiar man standing outside the door of my apartment. I stopped dead, completely in awe.

"Dad?" I asked, completely shocked. He turned around to give me a half smile.

"Edward." He said, nodding. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew about Renee. I unlocked the door and let him in first. He looked around in awe, it was the first time he'd seen the apartment.

"Wow, you two have certainly settled in quickly. I love what you've done with it," he said sincerely looking around. I smiled.

"Can I get you something to drink, dad?" I asked, grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. My father shook his head.

"I think we need something a little stronger for this conversation," he said sadly, running a hand through his hair nervously. I nodded, and pulled out a handle of whiskey and two glasses, bringing them over to the couch. I set them on the coffee table, and my father poured us each a glass.

"Well, I assume you got my voicemail," I said, my voice completely devoid of emotion.

"Yes, although I knew what was going on before you called," he shrugged his shoulders. I looked over at him in confusion.

"Renee had gone to see a close friend of mine that attended your engagement party. They ran into each other there, and he said she acted strange, and came over to ask me how she and I knew each other. Once I told him our relationship, he'd assumed that I knew about her diagnosis and let it slip. I looked into her medical charts shortly afterwards and called Renee, begging for her to allow us to treat her, but she adamantly refused. She hadn't told anyone, she just wants to let the disease take her, I guess."

"I don't understand how she can do this to Bella," I said angrily.

"It was incredibly selfish of her to put you in that position today, Edward. But, I talked to Dr. Hannigan and Dr. Whitekettle today, and I have an idea. It's going to be difficult though, because Bella is going to be hurt and angry, but it's better than allowing Renee to die without a word about this to Bella. At the moment, they're still performing Psych tests. If they declare her incompetent or insane in any capacity, Phil and Bella will be notified and they will have 72 hours to decide her medical care. But, I've spoken to two of the doctors in the cancer wing. Coincidentally, Bella's first assignment at her internship is to interview each of them for the article she's writing. She'll no doubt be wandering the hallways…" my father trailed off, and I jumped up in anger.

"You don't get it dad! Either way…I knew first and by law, I cannot say a damn thing! We could not survive this dad, she will be beyond upset. She's forgiven me in the past, but it's a very real possibility that this could be unforgiveable to her." The tears that I'd been holding back all day were finally leaking out of my eyes, and I couldn't stop them. My father stood, setting his drink back on the table and came over to me, hugging me tightly.

"We will get through this, Edward. We will figure this out together. There has to be a loophole, a way to be honest with her without breaking our doctor/patient confidentiality." My father said confidently.

"Dad, she means more to me than my medical career. I cannot screw this up. I have to tell her," I said honestly. At this moment, I didn't care about any of the codes or rules I was supposed to follow as a doctor. Hell, right at this moment, I did not want to be a doctor if I was going to feel like this after work every day. My cell phone rang then, and I saw that it was Dr. O'Neil. I breathed a sigh of relief, and I prayed that he had some good news for me that would ease the ache in my chest.

"Dr. Cullen," I said, trying my best to sound professional.

"Yes, it's Dr. O'Neil. Edward, I have some good news for you," I almost collapsed when he said this. I sank to the ground just in case.

"The psychologist has declared that Renee Dwyer is unable to make her own decisions regarding her physical state. Her husband has been notified and is on his way. Would you like me to call Bella?" I was so happy I was having trouble finding words. But my happiness quickly faded when I realized that this mess was only just beginning. My poor, sweet, innocent Bella would have to deal with her mothers sickness, and her mothers death.

"No, that's alright, Dr. O'Neil. I will notify her. Thank you for all your help. I owe you more than you know," I said sincerely.

"It was no problem Edward. You let me know if I can do anything further. She is being held in the cancer wing until her husband or your fiancée arrives. They will discuss with you her options."

"Thank you again," I said sincerely.

I ended the call and turned to my father, he was smiling sadly.

"I don't envy you for having to make that call, Edward. But break it to her gently, and please don't tell her anything over the phone. Have her come home, and we can tell her together. She isn't going to take this well," my father reminded me, pulling me back to reality. I nodded and pulled out my blackberry, dialing her number quickly. I held the phone to my ear and listened to it ring, my heart thudding in my ears. She answered quickly, and I was glad she put me out of my misery.

"Hey baby, is everything okay?" she asked, concerned. She knew that I wouldn't bother her at work. Not on her first day.

"Sweetheart, would it be a big problem for you to take off a little early today and come home? We need to talk." I said, trying to stay calm for her sake. I didn't want her upset, though I knew it was only a matter of time.

"Edward? What's wrong? You're scaring me." I took a deep breath. She was starting to panic.

"Sweetheart, I just need you to come home as soon as you can get away. Everything is going to be okay," I winced, as did my father. We both knew that this was a flat out lie.

"Alright, Edward. Let me go talk to Kristen, who is the person I'm writing this story with, and see if I can slip out a few hours early. I will call you when I'm in a cab on the way home, okay?" she said calmly. I was thankful that she knew me so well.

"That sounds perfect, thank you Bella. I'll see you soon. I love you,"

"I love you too Edward. Okay, I'll talk to you later. Bye". With that, she hung up the phone.

Bella called about ten minutes later to inform me that she was in a cab on her way home. Five minutes after that, she burst into the apartment, and her look of concern escalated to full-scale panic when she saw Carlisle sitting on our couch. She looked to me for answers. I pulled her into my arms and led her into the living room. I sat her down on the loveseat that was adjacent to the couch where my father was sitting. I kept her in my arms.

"Bella, I promise to tell you the story, but in order for me to do that, I have to start at the beginning to give you a little background. Just please be patient with me, and wait until I have completely finished telling you the story before you respond, okay?" She nodded in agreement. I looked to my father, who encouraged me to begin with a nod.

How do you tell your fiancée that her mother is dying?

"I went into work today and was put on duty in the cancer wing of the hospital. I was reviewing a few charts to prepare for rounds when one of the nurses handed me another chart, informing me that she had a patient on the floor that had requested me specifically. It was weird to me, because I am an intern, it's rare for me to be stationed in the same place for more than a day. I was curious, so I checked the chart, and was completely taken aback by the name. It was Renee, Bella," I said Renee's name slowly, pausing the story to be sure Bella was following. She looked scared and confused, so I continued. Well, at least I tried to continue. Was it my place to inform Bella of her mother? I looked to my father, hoping he'd know what I was asking. He nodded.

"Bella, baby, your mother has cancer. She's had it for awhile now…" she didn't let me get any further.

"No!" she yelled, jumping up off the couch and out of my arms. I winced. I knew I was not breaking this to her right, but what was the right way? She ran out of the room and into our bedroom, slamming the door behind her. I looked at my father, but he didn't look alarmed. He sighed.

"Edward, you did the best you could. Give her a few minutes, and then go talk to her. I'm going to head to the hospital and see about running a few tests, and I'll wait for Phil. The four of us will have a conference about how to proceed. I have rights at this hospital, so I'll talk to Dr. O'Neil and Dr. Whitekettle about handling Phil and Bella. I know them so they will be more comfortable discussing Renee with me." He told me calmly. I was glad one of us was able to stay calm. He rested his hand on my shoulder on his way out as I walked him to the door.

"You did a good job today, son. I'm very proud of you." He said with pride. I couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks dad. And thank you for thinking ahead to fly out here to be with us. I can't tell you how much it means. To both of us." He nodded, smiling sadly.

"Your mother will be here later. Bella will need her." He said confidently. I hugged my father tightly.

"Thank you so much, dad."

"You're welcome. Go take care of Bella now. I'll see you two soon. And Edward? Be kind to her. If she snaps, don't take it personally." He said sadly. I nodded.

Once he'd left, I went to our bedroom, but stood in front of the door again and a sick sensation of déjà vu flooded over me. I shook the memories of this morning out of my head and knocked once before entering the room. The sight of Bella broke my heart. She was curled up in our bed in the fetal position crying. I rushed to her side, sitting beside her. I pulled her into my arms the best that I could and held her tightly, listening to her sobs slowly subside.

"Edward…what did I do? What did I deserve to have both my parents in such bad shape? I don't understand…" she sobbed into my chest, clutching my shirt in her tiny fists. I tightened my grip around her.

"Bella, you did not do anything. Things like this happen. Life happens." I assured her. I'd forgotten for a moment that I hadn't actually told her that her mother had been refusing treatment.

"Did you see her file, Edward?" she asked, calmer now. She said up slightly in my arms, and I moved so that we were more comfortable. I had my back against the headboard, and Bella was between my legs, sitting against my chest.

"I did." I confirmed, not wanting to say anymore.

"Please tell me," she pleaded with me, turning in my arms so that she could look into my eyes. "Edward I know it must be bad if your father is here. Please just tell me. Put me out of my misery." She begged, tears spilling down her face again. I took a deep breath.

I had to do this. Rip off the band-aid.

"Love, your mother has been very sick for a long time," I told her, cupping her face in my hands, keeping my eyes locked on hers. "she knew back when Charlie was sick, and was too afraid to tell anyone. She didn't want to take the attention away from Charlie. Phil doesn't even know." Her eyes widened at that.

"How did she manage-?" she asked, unable to finish the question.

"She didn't. She's refused treatment". I said quickly. Her jaw dropped, eyes growing wide. She didn't cry like I expected, she was furious.

"What?! What the hell do you mean she's been refusing treatment?! It has been YEARS Edward. YEARS. How the hell is that possible?" She'd broken away from my hold and was pacing around our bedroom. I took a deep breath.

"Love, when I found out, I went to speak to my boss. After speaking with her, I knew I couldn't just tell you, I'd need to get around the confidentiality laws. I didn't want to keep this from you. I explained the situation, and he had a psych consult done. They've determined that she is not in the mental state to make this decision for herself, so they've notified you and Phil. The doctors ran some tests and Carlisle is looking over the results of those now. The four of us are going to have a meeting to discuss possible next steps. The point is, you and Phil will decide her course of treatment, not her." I told her, hoping that might comfort her. It didn't. She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the tears that were threatening to spill. I wanted to take her back into my arms, but I stayed where I was on the bed. I knew that she needed to process this. It was a lot to take in.

"She lied to me, Edward," she whispered in agony, slipping to the floor. I climbed out of bed to sit beside her.

"I know, love," I soothed, kissing her forehead. She looked up at me then.

"Thank you for telling me the truth, Edward. I know you wanted to edit, but just…thank you." She said sincerely. I nodded and took her hand.

"Alright, let's go down to the hospital and figure this out. Phil should be here soon."

I knew that no matter happened next, Bella and I would have each other.


	27. Umbrella Part One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. **

As Edward and I walked through the doors of the hospital, hand in hand, I tried to wrap my head around what was going on.

My mother. Had cancer. For quite some time. She'd lied to me. She'd lied to Phil. I took a deep breath to steady myself. Edward heard and squeezed my hand. He really was wonderful. I could believe he was going to be my husband soon.

I froze.

Oh my gosh. Husband.

I'm engaged.

I'm engaged and my mother is dying.

At that moment, I couldn't handle this. I forgot where I was and who I was with, collapsing to the ground in sobs. Edward caught me and I saw the panicked look across his face as he caught me before I fell to the ground. Edward tightened his hold on me, before scooping me into his arms. I put my arms around his neck, crying softly into his shoulder. He carried me into a dark room, setting me on something soft. I looked around in confusion. Edward smiled, cupping his hand against my cheek.

"It's an on call room, love," he reassured. I smiled sadly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, squatting in front of me, putting his hands on my knees.

"I'm sorry-I don't know what I was thinking, Edward," I began blushing furiously. "I was just incredibly excited about the prospect of you and I getting married," I told him, putting my hand on his chest, "and it all just hit me." I got up and began to pace up and down the small room. I could not sit still right now.

"I just…my mom. Edward, this is just so…I don't know…surreal. It all just hit me. My mom is probably dying. She doesn't have long…" I stopped him from interrupting. "No, Edward. I feel it. She doesn't have long. My mom won't get to see me get married, Edward," I said, hearing the agony in my own voice. I looked at Edward, finally meeting his eyes. I was surprised at what I saw. He looked just as broken hearted about this as I was. He slowly stood, pulling me back into his arms. My tears had slowed, I was trying to control them. I didn't want my mother to see me so upset. I took a deep, steadying breath.

"Bella, sweetheart, why don't we find out the results of the tests and see where we are, then we can talk about wedding plans. But I want that to be the furthest thing from your mind, Bella. We will figure it out with your mom. We can get her released and fly somewhere tonight if we have to. I promise you, I will do everything I can to ensure that Renee is able to see us get married." He told me, and I could see that he meant every word. I nodded, smiling a little, and leaned in to kiss him quickly.

"I love you" I whispered, leaning in to rest my forehead against his.

"I love you too, Bella." He told me, his arms still around me.

"Alright, let's go talk to your father. I want to see my mom," I said, taking one last deep breath. I took his hand and he led me into a brightly lit conference room. Phil was already there, his eyes red. He stood, pulling me into his arms, hugging me gently. I pulled back slightly to look at him.

"I'm so sorry, Phil," I said, tears clouding my voice. He nodded.

"Me too, Bella. I should have seen this…" he started, but I interrupted, shaking my head. I sat in the chair next to him, and Edward took the seat next to me. We were no longer holding hands, but his hand was rested on my knee. No one spoke a word until Carlisle entered with a thick folder, a large manila envelope and a grim expression. I knew what he was going to say before he said it.

Carlisle was all business today, which I have to admit I appreciated. He opened the chart and looked over a few sheets of paper before turning on the X-Ray light, holding the scans in front of the light to get a better look. Phil clutched my hand. Edward stiffened beside me. He must have seen something on the scans that was invisible to my civilian eye. I had no idea what anything in that picture was. Carlisle turned back around, sitting in the seat across from Phil and I. He stapled his fingers together, and I braced myself for the news that I already knew was coming.

"Bella, Phil, I am so sorry, but the cancer…it's spread significantly. When she was diagnosed, it looked to be Stage one, but it has spread quite a bit. I'm afraid that there aren't many options to provide you with. Chemotherapy and radiation are always options, but with Renee we would need to work quickly. You can technically only make those medical decisions for the next 70 hours or so. For the time being at least. We could always run the psych test again and file so that one of you would make all her decisions for her, she wouldn't be in control of her life," he explained. That was where he lost me.

As he rambled on, talking with Phil about options and next steps, I contemplated everything I'd just heard Carlisle tell us. First of all, I wasn't sure how I felt about taking control of her life away from her. She didn't have long to live and as much as I love my mother and want her with me, I wanted to have my mother for the time she had left, not an ill woman that couldn't get out of bed. My mother was not mentally disturbed, it wasn't necessary for Phil and I to take control. Chemotherapy and radiation were painful. My mother was not a reckless woman, if she had refused treatment from the beginning, she had a reason. I knew my mother loved me. She wanted to see me get married and start a family of my own; I knew how badly she wanted grandchildren. She wouldn't have decided something like this on a whim. She'd had plenty of time to think it over.

That was when I decided. I'd have to go against Carlisle, Phil and Edward if I had to, but I didn't want my mother to get better. Not if she didn't want to. If she wanted to fight the cancer, I would do everything in my power to help her. But, if this was how she wanted to finish out living her life, I would respect that. I had to.

I'd always admired Renee for being pretty open minded. She always considered everything. I didn't want that to change now, it wouldn't be fair. I looked at Phil out of the corner of my eye, and I could see that as hard as Carlisle was trying to speak in simple terms, it was too much for him to handle. I looked up at Carlisle, and he stopped speaking, looking back and forth between Phil and I. I cleared my throat, trying to get rid of the lump that had taken up permanent residence for the time being.

"Could Phil and I have a moment alone, perhaps?" I asked, looking between Carlisle and Edward. They both nodded. Edward stood and kissed the top of my head before leaving the room behind Carlisle. They shut the door behind them. I turned my chair to face a distraught Phil. I smiled sadly.

"Did he overwhelm you as much as he did me?" Phil asked me quietly, looking at his hands. I nodded.

"They're both really great, and I know that they only have Renee's best interests at heart. Phil, this decision is yours and I will back you 100% no matter what you decide to do, but I need to tell you something before you make that decision." I said honestly, pausing to take a deep breath. He nodded, but still wouldn't meet my eyes. Maybe that was best.

"Phil, I know that I should be mad at Renee for keeping this a secret from us and not getting help when she could, but I can't be. I'm trying really hard, but I just can't be. And as much as I selfishly want to keep her here as long as I can, I can't do that either. I want to spend time with _Renee_ in her last days, not my drugged up mother that can't get out of bed. She made this decision, and I don't want to make a different decision for her. I know my mother, and while she is a lot of things, irrational and incompetent is not her." I said quickly, wanting to get this out. Phil looked up at me then with tears in his eyes and moved to hug me.

"I am so glad you feel that way, Bella, because I think the very same thing. I will, however, discuss this with her to figure out her rationale about hiding this, but if she doesn't want to pursue treatment I am not going to force it on her. It's her life, and I want her to spend the remainder of her time the way she wants to spend it." Phil assured, choking slightly on his words. I nodded and gave him another tight hug.

"Why don't you go talk with her for a little bit and I'll talk to Edward and Carlisle about what you and I discussed. I'll come back later tonight to talk to her, but I want you two to have some alone time." I reassured with a smile. Phil only nodded in thanks, standing from his chair. A nurse showed him down the hall to my mother's room while I sought out Edward and Carlisle.

I found them in Carlisle's study. They both gave me a sympathetic smile when I walked in. Edward was sitting on the brown leather sofa, and opened his arms to me. I curled up into his side and he put his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. Carlisle was sitting across from us in one of the brown leather arm chairs.

"I talked to Phil, and we are both in agreement," I told them. I could only see Carlisle's face, but it seemed like he was trying to prepare himself for what I was going to say.

"We both agree that we will support whatever Renee decides she wants. Phil went to discuss her options with her, and I'm going to visit her later after they've had a chance to talk." I told both of them firmly, trying to convey that neither of us would be talked out of this. I felt Edward stiffen beside me, but he didn't say anything, he just massaged the back of my neck. I could have fallen asleep right there. The last few hours had really taken a lot out of me.

I woke up in the same position what felt like minutes later, but things were different. It was dark outside and now Edward and I were lying on the couch. I was on top of him, still firmly in his arms. I gently moved so I could look at his face. He was sleeping soundly. I looked up at Carlisle's desk and glanced around the office, noticing that we were alone. I placed soft, gentle kisses along Edward's jaw line. He began to stir and tightened his arms around me, pressing me firmly to his body. I giggled and moved my head to kiss his Adam's apple. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. I smiled at him.

"Hey you, what the heck happened? Did you drug me?" I laughed. The last thing I remembered was telling them that Phil and I had decided to support my mom's decisions in her treatment and the next thing I knew I was waking up in Edward's arms and it was dark out.

"No, sorry, love," the joke was lost on him, bringing me crashing back to reality. "You must have been pretty emotionally worn out, because you fell into a pretty deep sleep."

"Can I see her now?" I asked, my voice dropping down to a whisper. He nodded and sat up, keeping me in his arms. He helped me stand. Damnit my back hurt. I made a mental note to take plenty of Motrin before I went to bed tonight.

"Wait, Edward," I asked before we left the office. He turned and smiled at me.

"Would it be alright if Phil crashed at our place for awhile? We have that guest bedroom and…" Edward cut me off before I could finish rambling. He smiled, pinching my lips between his thumb and forefinger.

"I already took care of it love." He promised and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," I breathed, hugging him tightly.

"You are very welcome, love. Now, lets go see your mother. I think Phil is still in there with her." He told me, and I was glad for that.

He led me down the dreary hallways and I felt like he was leading me to my execution. I didn't know what I was going to say to her, but I wasn't mad. I didn't know what I was exactly; there were too many emotions running through my tired body. I needed a break from all the drama, and I hoped that it would come quick.

**A/N: Review please and let me know how you liked it? **

**_NEXT CHAPTER:_**

**_Bella talks to Renee_**


	28. Umbrella Part Two

**A/N: Alright, this was a difficult one to write. I hope that I did okay. Review and let me know? Thanks! Also, thanks so much for reviewing and putting this on your favorites and alerts lists. You have no idea what it means to me. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. **

**Bella's POV**

Edward stopped in front of a room, and I saw that the name plate read "Renee Dwyer". I took a deep breath and Edward squeezed my hand.

"Um, would you mind if…"I trailed off, but he nodded in understanding.

"Of course, love. I'll just be in the waiting room making calls, come find me if you need me, or when you're ready to leave" he informed me gently, kissing me lightly on the forehead. I smiled in thanks and took a deep breath, reaching for the door. I saw that she was alone, and I was thankful for that, but I wondered briefly where Phil had gone. Her eyes were focused on the TV that hung on the opposite wall of her bed. She looked…different. I opened the door and took a timid step inside. She didn't look as sick as I had imagined. That was the hardest part about it. I've had friends loose parents before, and they said that death was welcomed at the end because their parents had just looked so sick. But she looked fine. Tired and feeble, yes, but not as ill as I had expected.

"Hey baby," my mom whispered. I guessed that her voice was too weak to speak, as was mine. I smiled shyly and continued to walk slowly over to her. I kicked off my shoes and climbed into bed with her like I had when I was little. She wrapped her arms around me and held me for awhile. I had to fight the tears away, not wanting this moment to end. I didn't care, in this moment, that my mother was sick and in the hospital. I didn't care that she had lied to me. I just wanted things to stay like this. I wanted to freeze time. I was, however, torn. I wanted answers. I wanted to know why she had lied and refused treatment. I needed to know. But I didn't want to ruin the moment and upset her. My mom kissed my hair.

"As soon as Phil comes back from the cafeteria, I promised that I would talk to both of you and tell you, honestly, what's been going on. I'm so sorry that I put both of you in this position, but I won't apologize for my decision. I believe it was the right decision for me. If I could go back, I wouldn't change a thing." She told me, breaking the silence. I just nodded. I couldn't speak.

A few minutes later, Phil came through the door with a cup of coffee. He looked exhausted. I gave him a sympathetic smile, which he returned. I scooted as far over to my side as I could, and he slipped in behind my mother, holding her in his arms. This bed was incredibly too small for three people, but it was one of the most precious, intimate moments of my life and I knew that I would treasure it for the rest of my life.

"So, I promised both of you some answers," my mom said quietly. Both Phil and I nodded, but didn't say a word, allowing her to do all the talking.

"I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer about a week before Charlie got sick." I had to hold back a gasp. "I had gone in for a routine check up and my results were abnormal. I didn't think much of it then because so many of my friends have gotten the 'abnormal results' phone call and it turned out to be nothing. But deep down I knew that it was cancer." She paused, evaluating both of our expressions. We were both shock that this had been going on so long. I couldn't help but wonder how she was still alive.

"I lost my mother when I was sixteen to cancer and I vowed that I would never die sick like she had. I guess I'd known then that I was doomed to cancer…But either way, I saw my once energetic and fun mother slowly die in front of my eyes, and I promised myself then that I would never make my family watch me slowly waste away. I do not want to go through radiation and chemotherapy. At this point, it would only decline my quality of life for the remainder of the time I have left. I went to see an oncologist that I hoped had no connections to the Carlisle. He'd been helping Charlie, so I made sure to drive awhile out of the city. We discussed my options at length, and I explained my reasons for declining treatment. He told me to take a few days to seriously think about it and talk it over with my family, but I never did. I mean, I thought about it, but I didn't tell anyone. I didn't want this getting back to you, Bella. I thought I'd succeeded, but he showed up at your engagement party. I wanted to let him know that I hadn't told my family so he wouldn't tell anyone, but I didn't see the treat. I know that doctors are held to tight confidentiality laws, so I assumed he wouldn't bring it up. I didn't know it, but he was a good friend of Carlisle's and I guess he let my diagnosis slip to Carlisle because not three days later Carlisle came to me and begged me to let them help me, as they had helped Charlie, but I adamantly refused. Things after that were pretty uneventful. I was in a little pain, but nothing aspirin couldn't help. Eventually, a few days ago it became unbearable. I didn't want to go to just any doctor for pain medication, because I didn't want to be lectured again. I didn't want to feel like a bad mother and a bad wife for making this decision on my own. I knew I had two options. Carlisle and Edward. Carlisle would have been the easy choice, but I picked Edward. I don't know why…the psychologist that came in here thinks that my subconscious wanted to tell Bella. I knew he couldn't have kept a secret from you Bella, no matter how hard I begged. He acted as I thought he would. But anyway, Edward sent in Dr. Whitekettle, who was very kind. He accepted my explanation and refusal of treatment and was the first doctor to actually understand my decision. We talked, at length, about how to keep me comfortable. I'm being discharged from the hospital as soon as this 72 hour hold is up." She finished, looking back and forth between Phil and I. I looked up at Phil and he had tears cascading down his face, mirroring my own. I was completely speechless.

"Renee, Bella and I will talk to the doctors. We're taking you off the 72 hour hold. Now that we understand what's happening, we'll help get you released". Phil said, breaking the deafening silence. I just nodded, unable to look at either of them. After another few minutes, Phil shakily broke the silence once again.

"Bella, why don't I go find Renee's doctors and talk to them about getting Renee discharged as soon as we can." Phil said, slipping out of bed. I nodded in thanks, glad to have some time alone with my mother. I slipped out of the incredibly uncomfortable bed too.

"Please do, I don't know how she's in that thing very long," I said with a shake of my head. Phil and my mother laughed weakly. Once he left, I took my mom's hand in mine again. She ran her free hand through my hair.

"My darling Bella," she whispered. I kissed her hand.

"Please don't be mad at me," she choked.

"Mom, I'm not mad at you". I said quickly, my voice breaking. "I understand, Mom, I really do. I just…" I shook my head, unable to finish my sentence. I was unable to hold back my tears any longer and I allowed them to fall freely down my face.

"I'm just really going to miss you, mom," I choked out before letting the sobs consume me. I crawled back up into bed and into the safety of my mother's arms. She held me tightly and cried with me. Several minutes later, when I had gotten control of myself, I looked up at her, wanting to memorize her. Every facial expression, every smile, and every wrinkle. She cupped my face in her hands.

"Baby, I'm okay. I've been reading up on it, and Heaven…it's a really great place." She smiled, thinking she was calming me, but the talk of an afterlife scared me. That meant she'd no longer be here.

"Are you scared?" I choked out, unsure if I wanted the answer to my question or not. She thought for a moment, and I saw a few more tears escape her eyes before she answered.

"I'm only scared of what I am leaving behind, and a little of what I am going to miss." She admitted. "But Bella," she pulled my chin up, forcing me to look at her. "I will always be with you, I'll never be far away. When you get married, and have babies…I'll be there. Maybe not the way I want to be, but I'll still be there." She assured. It was oddly comforting. "Edward is a good man, Bella. When I told him, he was so angry with me. He broke down, begging me to tell you. He didn't want to keep a secret from you. Be good to each other." She commanded, soliciting a laugh from me.

"Actually mom, Edward and I decided to move up the wedding. He said we could do it as soon as we wanted to." I told her. She smiled at the prospect.

"I'd love nothing more."

**Edward's POV**

As soon as I left Bella, I called her boss and explained the situation. Her boss was incredibly understanding, and said Bella could take all the time she needed. He also said that she could withdraw from the program or write from home if she'd like. I was relieved that he was so great about it. She didn't' need stress from that on top of all of this. Once my phone call ended, I saw my mother and Alice walking quickly towards me, both visibly upset. My mother took me tightly in her arms and held me for a moment. She was shaking, giving away that she was crying. I tried to comfort her, but I couldn't do much, because there wasn't a whole lot anyone could do to comfort _me_ right now.

"How is she, Edward," Alice asked, peering around our mother. My mother released me, leading us over to a few chairs. I sank into one, putting my head in my hands. My mother rubbed my back in comfort.

"She's…I don't know," I said honestly, shrugging my shoulders.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Alice pressed. I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"Because, I don't. She's Bella. She seems fine. She's had a few breakdowns, but nothing major. She's…she's Bella." I said exasperated. How was I supposed to know how Bella was? I couldn't relate to her. This was unchartered territory. My mother was fine and sitting next to me. Bella's was down the hall. Every moment, her mother got closer to death. Renee didn't have long. I knew that from her scans. When my father held it to the light I saw a large tumor on her lung that wrapped around her heart. She had six weeks at best.

Just then, a distraught Phil emerged from Renee's room and sauntered over to us sadly, brushing the tears from his eyes.

"Edward?" he asked, his voice cracking. I stood.

"Yes?" Please let Bella be okay. Well, as okay as she could be in this situation.

"Bella and I have talked with Renee, and we'd like to get her discharged from the hospital as soon as possible." He told me quickly. I nodded in understanding and went off to find Dr. Whitekettle and my father without another word.

"Oh, and Edward?" Phil called quietly. I spun around on my heel.

"Yeah?"

"Would it be alright…if Renee and I, you know, crashed with you? Just until we can figure all this out? I mean…" I cut him off right there. I could tell he felt guilty asking me this.

"Phil. Please do. Stay as long as you want. I'd prefer it actually. Renee shouldn't be traveling, you know, in her condition." I said, wincing at my choice of words. Phil didn't bat an eyelash. He just smiled and nodded in thanks, and then my mother began talking to him softly. I saw Alice huddled in a corner chair, looking scared. She glance my way and I nodded my head for her to follow. Her eyes brightened slightly and she jumped out of the couch and ran over to me.

She followed me to Carlisle's office and I filled her in on what was going on as best as I could. She just nodded and kept whispering "poor Bella". My father and Dr. Whitekettle were surprisingly on board with releasing Renee, especially after I told them that she'd sat down with Bella and Phil and was honest.

"I called Rose and Em. Mom, Dad and I are staying there. They didn't want to come today and overwhelm Bella, but Rose went over and cleaned your apartment really well for Renee. She said the guest room is all ready." Alice informed me. For once, the excitement was missing from her voice and her eyes were wide and frightened. She stopped in the middle of the hallway and grabbed my arm tightly to stop me.

"Edward, promise me you'll take good care of Bella. She's been through a lot, and I feel like once she looses Renee she might try to push her away, but please, please don't let her." Alice begged, tears slipping out of her eyes. I was surprised by her plea. I pulled her close and promised that I'd take good care of Bella. I tried to push away the sudden fear that I felt. Alice always had a sixth sense about things, and it made me nervous that she was this afraid for Bella and I.

Several hours later, we'd sprung Renee from the hospital and went back to our place. We helped Renee change into comfortable pajamas that Alice had brought over and got her settled in bed. I brought her some water and handed her the pills for pain. My father had gotten her samples of medicine to hold her off until we could get her prescription filled in the morning. He'd given her a pain pill and a mild sleeping pill. She took them willingly and ten minutes later she was fast asleep. Phil took a quick shower and went to bed as well. I was relieved to be alone with Bella now. She'd been quiet since she'd gotten to talk to Renee alone, but she truly seemed better after she got out. She was devastated, of course, but not like I thought she'd be. When I found her in our room, she was pacing, still fully clothed. I closed our door softly behind me and went over to her, taking her into my arms. She pressed her head into my chest and held onto me tightly for a moment.

She moved her arms, tightening them around my neck and stood on her tiptoes to kiss me. It started gentle and slow, but it slowly turned into one of the more passionate kisses Bella and I had shared. I lifted her off the ground gently and carried her to the bed without breaking the kiss. I layed down gently on top of her, moving my arms benethe her so I could prop up on my arms so I wouldn't crush her with my weight. She pulled away after several minutes and looked lovingly into my eyes. She smiled softly and played with a strand of my hair.

"Edward, if I tell you something will you promise not to think less of me?" she asked nervously. I smiled and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.

"Of course love. You could do nothing to make me think less of you." I told her honestly. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"Edward, will you make love to me? I need to…I need to". I stopped her by kissing her softly on her lips.

"Love, you don't need to give me a reason,"

"But-I don't want you to think…" I cut her off again.

"Shh, love. I know."

And I did know. Bella wanted to be intimate and feel close to me.

Bella moved her legs to either side of my waist. I broke the kiss to lift her shirt over her head. She sat up slightly to unbutton my shirt. Her abdominal muscles strained underneath her creamy skin as she worked down the buttons. Once she'd had it unbuttoned, she slipped her small hands through the shoulders and helped me shrug out of it. Then, she helped me out of my pants, and I helped her out of hers. She laid back down on the bed, but I kneeled between her legs and took in the sight of her. She was breathtakingly beautiful. The longer I stared at her nearly naked, perfect body, the more she blushed. I gently moved to hover over again, holding myself with one arm. The other arm ghoasted across her skin. I ran my hands over the soft skin of her tight stomach, up to her ribcage, brushing my fingers across the underwire of her bra. I traced her bra strap around her ribs and behind her, feeling for the clasp. Once I found it, I unhooked it and pulled it off, discarding it on the floor. I pulled away from the kiss to look into her eyes, making sure this was really what she wanted. All I saw in her eyes at this moment was her love for me, and it was very nearly overwhelming. I ran my hand through her hair and smiled down at her.

"I love you," I whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"I love you too," she said, running her hands up and down my chest.

"You still okay with this?" I wanted to make sure she was still okay. She just nodded. I cupped her breast in my palm and felt her nipples harden beneath my skin. I kissed along her jaw line and down her neck. She whimpered softly. I hooked my fingers through her black lacy panties and pulled them down her long legs, throwing them on the floor. I crawled back up her body, kissing her clavicle bone. She rested her hands on my shoulders. I slowly slid back down her body. My erection was growing painful now, but tonight was not about me. I kissed down her chest and down the valley between her breasts before working my way over to her nipple. I circled each of them with my tongue before sucking it into my mouth. Her back arched in response. I kissed down her abdomen and spread her legs open further. She whimpered again, this time in anticipation. I kissed up the inside of each of her thighs before finally kissing her clit, opening her with my fingers. She squirmed, trying to hold back her moans. I nipped at her clit and her fingers went into my hair, before falling to her sides. I moved my arms under her legs, placing one hand on each of her hips to anchor her to the bed.

"Edward, please baby…" she cried. My tongue darted into her wet core and she rocked her hips against my face. I moved my hands from her hips to hold both of her hands as I sucked on her bundle of nerves. I licked my way back up to her clit and moved my fingers inside of her, pumping my fingers in and out quickly. I could feel that she was on the edge, so I curled my fingers slightly, sending her over the edge. I stayed where I was, watching her ride out her orgasm. Once her breathing had returned to normal, she smiled seductively, moving her legs slightly. I began to move back up her body and she hooked her toes through the waist band of my boxers and pulled them down. I kicked him off and hovered over her again, kissing her passionately. She wrapped her legs around my waist and pressed her hips into mine.

"Please baby, I need you inside of me…" she whimpered, holding her body tightly to mine. I was only too happy to fulfill her wish. I gently entered her, and we both moaned into our kiss. I pumped slowly, gently in and out of her until she moved her hips with mine. She looked into my eyes and cupped my face in her hands.

"Baby, it's okay, I'm fine…please…faster…" she moaned, her hands going to my shoulders and then down my arms so she was holding each of my wrists that were on either side of her head. My thrusts quickened in pace, and both of us were trying incredibly hard to hold back our moans of pleasure. I wasn't going to last long, I tried my hardest to hold out. I leaned down to kiss her.

"Edward…baby…I'm close…"she moaned against my lips. I felt her walls clench down around me.

"It's okay sweetheart, let go". The moment the words left my mouth, we both reached our climaxes together. I fell into a heap ontop of her, gasping for breath. She wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly. I went to roll off of her; she was so tiny, I didn't want to crush her.

"No," she whispered in desperation. "Please, don't go," I was alarmed by her plea.

"Baby, I'm not going anywhere, I just was going to roll over; I don't want to hurt you," I comforted. She held me tighter.

"Not yet."

"Okay," I whispered to her in assurance, staying where I was.

After a few moments, her hold on me tightened, letting me know she was okay. I smiled down at her to make sure, and she returned her smile with a slight nod, kissing me quickly on the lips. I pulled out of her and both of us groaned at the loss. I moved us underneath the covers. I opened my arms to her and she settled back into my arms, resting her head on my chest.

"Thank you, Edward. I love you so much." She whispered, kissing my chest.

"I love you too." I kissed her hair. She looked up at me.

"Thank you for today, Edward. You're amazing…with my mom. I couldn't have gotten through it without you." She confessed with a sad smile. I just nodded and kissed her again.

"I love you Bella," I didn't know what else to say. "Now, please go to sleep. You must be exhausted." I tightened my arms around her and hummed to her until she was asleep.

**_IMPORTANT: So, did I do okay? I wanted to express a lot of love in that lemon, but it was tough. Also, this story is winding down, there are only 5 chapters (ish) left. I need to know if you guys want an epilouge or a sequel. Let me know in a review or PM me. Thanks!_**


	29. Last Minute Plans

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**First of all, I know this is short. I had to break up the chapters with the little cliffy at the end. It was awkward otherwise. I'm posting the next one right away though. It'll be up in an hour or two. =) The next few chapters are light and fluffy after the last few heavy ones. Let me know what you think. **

**BPOV**

_About two weeks later…_

I do not know what I ever did without Edward in my life. At my mom's insistence, I went back to my internship for a few days, but then at my boss' insistence, I began doing my internship from home Monday thru Thursday, and went into the office Friday morning for staff meetings. We were still all talking through how to proceed with my mother. Strangely, I was mainly calm about it all. She and Phil were good about keeping the funeral stuff to themselves. I didn't know if I could handle hearing her discuss what she wanted done in terms of a will or her funeral. My focus now was making her time left her the best that it could be.

She was still in a lot of pain, despite the fact that she'd forgone treatment and was on a lot of pain medication.

Edward, Phil, my mother and I were also busy planning the wedding. We'd decided to get married in Florence, Italy. We were leaving in a week. After the wedding, Edward and I were taking a three day "honeymoon". Edward never said it, but I overheard him tell Carlisle and Phil that once Renee was…gone he'd take me on a "real" honeymoon. Renee would stay in New York City, since all her favorite doctors were here until the end. Alice had been incredibly supportive about the new wedding plans, for which I would be eternally gratefully. Edward insisted he didn't even have to tell her off this time, she was supportive all on her own. She was disappointed of course, but Edward made up for it by allowing her to throw us a Bridal Shower. Renee and Esme would give a second one. Which was _completely_ ludicrous. We did not need two bridal showers. Rosalie laughed at me and said they would be completely different. I didn't understand that until Alice showed me what the invitations looked like.

The invitations were pink lace-up corsets. You untie the corset to reveal the party details. Alice's shower was a lingerie shower. I blushed scarlet upon realization. Alice giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Bella. You need to stop being embarrassed about sex. We have no secrets. I know you two have sex. I've heard you…so stop it." She said, a little exasperated.

"Sorry Alice," I said softly. She just smiled at me, letting me know she was only teasing. But I had a feeling there was some seriousness to it. Alice explained that her shower was more of a Bachelorette party than a shower. Only my friends would be in attendance. No mothers or mother-in-laws. That made me feel better, but only a little. Edward and I were in agreement that neither of us wanted a Bachelor/Bachelorette party. He said that the parties were designed for those that were sad to see the end of their single days, and we both couldn't be more excited to be married. Alice's shower was set for tomorrow, with the Bridal Shower two days after.

Edward and I at our apartment on his computer, trying to figure out where exactly to spend our "honeymoon". I was exhausted and kept yawning. Edward massaged the back of my neck and I melted into his touch.

"Love, lets figure this out and go to bed," he suggested. I nodded and took another sip of my coffee cup before checking my watch. It was after midnight. We'd been at this for a good four hours.

"Alright, so do we want to travel a lot or stick to one place?" he asked, pulling up a map of Europe.

"I vote stay in one place. We don't have long, and I don't want to be completely worn out on our honeymoon". I told him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, good call," he replied. We scanned our eyes over the map.

"Paris." We both said at the same time. We laughed, and he hugged me close.

"Good thing we're in agreement. Lets get to bed, we can book all the details tomorrow," he promised, shutting the lid of his laptop so it clicked closed. I set our coffee cups in the sink and he shut off all the lights. I feel asleep the second my head touched the pillow.

_The Next Day:_

When I woke up, I felt hungover, but I knew I wasn't.

2:05 pm.

_Well that's why_. I thought to myself. I giggled, sitting up in bed. I need to start setting an alarm. Whenever I get too much sleep I wake up with a "hangover". I stretched and found a note on Edward's pillow.

_Love,_

_I didn't want to wake you. Your mother and my father are at the doctor's to get her meds adjusted, and Phil and I went to get a few groceries and run a few errands for your mom. Call me if you need anything. I love you. Be safe._

_Yours,_

_Edward._

I smiled and slipped out of bed. My stomach grumbled. Then, I remembered something. I slipped on a pair of flip flops and grabbed my keys. I ran out of the apartment and down the stairs to the mailboxes. I had to get the mail before Edward could get to it. Or my parents. Or everyone except me for that matter. I grabbed everything from the box and ran back upstairs to the apartment. I dropped the mail on the kitchen counter and flipped through it frantically, finding what I was looking for at the bottom. A large white envelope.

From Harvard University.


	30. Lingerie Party

**NEXT CHAPTER: BPOV**

**A/N: Alright, kids. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! Also...the announcement you've been waiting for...you ALL get your way.**

**I am going to write a sequel, and then when that is done, I'll write an epilouge that will summarize the sequel. The sequel will be lighthearted, there won't be much drama. Alright. Here we go. I'm going to try hard to update again this weekend. =) **

I slipped into the dress that Alice instructed me to wear to the party tonight. It was black and strapless, and had blue satin ribbon trim around the edges. I slipped on my heels and checked myself in the mirror one last time. My hair and make up was done and I looked good. I grabbed my clutch from the counter and shut of the lights in our bedroom.

Carlisle and Esme were out to dinner with Edward, Emmett, Phil and Renee. I decided to drive myself to the party, since I wasn't really planning on drinking much. I looked over the directions that Alice had texted me and once I knew where I was going, I pulled out of my spot and began to drive. I decided to call Edward quickly before I left. The drive would take about twenty minutes, so I had a few minutes to talk. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey love. Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm on my way to the party now. I just wanted to talk to you before I got there. I probably won't be home until after you're asleep. You have to work tomorrow, right?" I was so glad Edward had finally decided to go back to work.

"Yeah, but not until 9. Wake me up when you get home if I'm not already awake?"

"Sure thing. How's dinner?"

"Great. I should get back though. I love you. Have fun. See you soon."

"I love you too. Say hi to everyone for me."

I pulled into the parking lot and Rosalie was waiting outside for me. She smiled and ran over to my car and threw her arms around me.

"Oh Bella, I'm so excited. This is going to be fun. And please. Please, for me, try to have fun?" she begged, putting an arm around my shoulders, leading me into the restaurant.

"How bad is it going to be?" I winced. Rosalie laughed and stopped walking, turning to put both of her hands on my shoulders.

"Bella, lets put it this way. If you got a penny every time you blushed tonight, you'd be a millionaire." She giggled and pulled me inside. I took a deep breath. As Rosalie led me into the room, I gasped. Alice had decorated it beautifully. There were flowers, but not too many. The colors where hot pink and black. Before I could look around further, Alice jumped into my arms.

"Alice, you've really outdone yourself. This is amazing!" I told her when she pulled away. She smiled brightly and began bouncing up and down.

"Really?! You like it! Yay! Follow me!" She dragged me to the head of the table. I took a seat, and almost immediately, Rosalie came over with a shot. She winked at me.

"You're going to need this. It'll calm 'ya down," she promised. We clinked glasses together and I drank it quickly, wincing as burned down my throat.

There were about twenty people there, and we ate dinner first. It was delicious. We had steaks and martini's. Too soon, it was time for the dreaded event. Presents. Alice was kind and eased me into it. At first, it was just lingerie. Then…the lingerie turned incredibly skimpy. Everyone howled in laughter as I held up a bra and crotchless panty set, trying to figure out what it was. I did another shot after that one, as I was only half way through my presents. Soon, the lingerie turned into toys, which was when I felt my skin flame in embarrassment. Rosalie and Alice had to wipe tears from their cheeks as they watched me unwrap handcuffs, and several toys that I didn't know what they were.

"It's okay Bella, I'll explain them too you later," Rosalie reassured me. Some of them I wasn't sure I wanted to know what they were.

Just as I was finishing up my gifts, I started to feel a little dizzy. Rose got me some bread and a few glasses of water. Not long after, it was time for cake. The cake was in the shape of a corset, which was hot pink with black "ribbon". Once I had a piece of cake and more water, I was feeling better. Still buzzed, but not out of control. Then, a friend of mine from my internship, Emily, asked about Kate. I saw red immediately.

"I'm confused though," she said, looking between Alice, Rose and I. "Why didn't Edward handle it right away. And Bella, how did you trust him with something like that?! If my fiancé Sam had a friend that was a girl, I wouldn't let him out without me!"

I felt like she was attacking my judgment. Angry tears sprung into my eyes. Rosalie, seeing this, grew angry.

"Well, Bella and Edward trust each other. Edward trusted Kate, so Bella trusted her as well. No questions asked. That's what we love the most about her," Rose defended. Emily backed off after that, but it only made me think harder. I had another martini, against Rosalie's request. I checked the time on my cell phone. It was just after 11. Edward should be home and in bed by now. I needed to call him.

"I'll be right back girls," I whispered to Alice and Rose.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Alice asked, concerned. I shook my head.

"No, that's alright. I just want to check in with Edward". They nodded and I stepped outside, dialing Edward's number immediately.

"Hello?" his voice was thick with sleep.

"You have a lot of explaining to do my friend." I snapped, before I could even control my jealousy.

"Bella, what are you talking about?" Edward sound _exasperated_! With _me_!

"You know what I'm talking about my friend," I slurred. Maybe I was more affected by those drinks than I'd originally thought.

"Bella, how much did you have to drink tonight?" he groaned. He sounded annoyed with me now!

"That's not important here my friend." Why was I saying that so much? Weird.

"How much did you have to drink, my friend?" Edward chuckled.

"Oh you are brave my friend". I gasped. He was mocking me.

"Bella, what is this about."

"Kate. Kate is what I am talking about. What happened with her?" I demanded.

"Before I answer that, I have a question. Are we still friends?" he sounded like he was trying to hold back laughter, which only made me more mad.

"Are you _laughing_ at me?" I was sounding ridiculous, even to me.

"You need to come home, my friend. We can discuss this when you get home. Have Alice drive you".

"Don't tell me what to do".

"Bella, you're drunk. Drink some water and eat something. If, after the alcohol wears off, you still want to talk about Kate, we will talk. I'm not doing this with you, drunk and over the phone". He insisted.

"Well my friend you should".

Before he could respond, Alice came outside, grabbing the phone from my ear. She talked to Edward for a few minutes before hanging up, but she refused to give me the phone.

"Come on Bella, lets get you some food, then we can go home and talk to Edward," she promised kindly. I brushed away the tears that had fallen. I have no idea what had gotten into me.

"Actually, Alice, I think I'm going to stay out her for a minute, clear my head. I don't know where that just came from."

"Bella, that was unresolved issues about Kate. It's okay." She touched my arm and disappeared back into the building. I leaned against the brick wall and took a deep breath. Rosalie came out.

"Bella, what's up with you? You've been on edge all night?" she pressed. I took a deep breath. Do I tell her? Could I handle it? Most importantly, would she tell Emmett, who would then tell Edward before I could get the chance?

"Rose, if I tell you, I need your word that you will not repeat this to anyone until I make the official announcement". I said quietly, looking to be sure no one else could hear our conversation. She nodded.

"With everything going on with my mom, I've decided to take the fall semester off. Then, when I thought about it, I don't want to be apart from Edward after we're married. That would suck. So, I spoke with an admissions counselor from Harvard who looked at my transcripts. She assured me that only one of my classes wouldn't transfer. I'll still graduate on time. I received my acceptance letter for the Spring semester in the mail today."


	31. Edward and Harvard

**Author's Note: Thanks again for your wonderful reviews. Thanks so much for reading this! I'm so glad. Oh, and I don't know if I told you in the last author's note, but here are my plans for the end of this story.**

**I will do a sequel, but there will not be this much drama. For those of you that don't want to wait for another sequel, after it's posted, I'll write a three-shot epilouge that takes the highlights from the sequel, and I'll post it on here. Does that sound like a good compromise for eveyone? =)**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the owner of Twilight. **

**BPOV**

Rose just stared at me in complete and utter shock for a moment. But she snapped out of it quickly.

"Bella, is this what you really want?" she asked softly, putting a hand on my shoulder. I just nodded.

"Yeah. I thought a lot about it." I confirmed. She opened her mouth to say something, but the closed it, thinking better of it.

"Rose, it's okay, say it. Please be honest with me if you think this is crazy". I pleaded.

"Bella, before I say this, I hope you know that if this is truly what you want, I will support you one hundred percent. But if you thought about it, why didn't you tell Edward?" she asked.

"Because I know him. He would have tried to talk me out of it and there would have been a fight. I didn't want to go through all that if I couldn't even get accepted at Harvard. So I applied, and if I hadn't have gotten in, it wouldn't have mattered, because then we could discuss things from there," I explained. She nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Well congratulations, girl. I'd buy you a congratulatory shot, but your fiancé would probably kill me, so let's get you home so you can hammer out all your unresolved Kate issues." She hugged me and pulled me back inside.

Not much longer, we had my car loaded my gifts and Rose was driving me back to the apartment. She said her and Emmett would go pick up her car later.

"Rose, what are we going to do with all this?" I asked, slightly scared, motioning to the gifts in the backseat. She laughed.

"Put them in your apartment." She said, looking at me like I was insane for asking that question.

"Rose, Edward isn't supposed to see them!" I pointed out. She just rolled her eyes.

"Bella, please. Don't play innocent with me." Rose warned. "Besides, Edward knows where you went tonight. He's going to want to see what you got." She winked at me and I blushed scarlet.

I'd never tell her, but she had a point.

She offered to have Emmett help us unload all of this stuff, but I thought I'd had enough torture about my sex life for tonight. We dropped off all the bags just inside the front door. We had just brought in the last of it when I felt a familiar heat on my cheeks. I whirled around to Rosalie, horrified.

"Oh my gosh, Rose, my mom and Phil are staying here!" I hissed. Her jaw dropped. She seemed to have overlooked this as well. Just then, thankfully, Edward poked his head around the corner.

"Everything okay girls?" he asked smugly. I glared at him. He had some nerve after that phone call to talk to me like that. But I didn't have time to fight with him right now.

"Edward, could you help us bring all this stuff to our closet so my parents don't see it?" he nodded, but began laughing when he saw what it was.

"And if you want to see anything that is in these bags you will not laugh or make commentary of any kind. Are we clear?" I snapped. He smiled smugly at me and I wanted to slap it right off his beautiful face. Ugh. Thank God he's pretty.

"Yes, my friend," Edward replied stifling laughter. I felt my face heat again, this time in anger. Rose must have noticed it, because she covered up her giggles with a coughing fit, and pretended Emmett was calling her. She pulled me into a hug and I thanked her for everything.

"Don't be too hard on him," she requested, kissing my cheek and walking out of the apartment. Edward and I worked quickly, and quietly and got everything into the closet in only two trips. He thankfully obeyed my rules to not say anything about what was in the bags. But a glance beneath his belt buckle told me that he'd seen it all. I shut the door to our room quietly, reminding myself that this room was not sound proof. I couldn't yell and scream at him, my mom would wake up. Edward was standing next to his nightstand, unbuckling his belt, getting undressed for bed. I crossed my arms and stood at the foot of the bed.

"So are we going to talk?" I prompted. He looked up at me, all traces of humor gone. I was thankful. He sighed.

"Bella, now that the alcohol is starting to wear off, do you mind telling me where the hell all this is coming from?" he asked, sounding frustrated.

"Some girls at the party tonight made comments that made me think. I never doubted your side of the story Edward," his eyes glazed over in anger, "and I'm not doubting it now," I added. The anger in his eyes faded, but only slightly. "When I called you, I admit that I was drunk and out of line, but those feelings came from somewhere inside of me. And I cannot ignore the fact that you have a tendency to edit when it comes to me. I appreciate that you don't want to hurt me, I really do. Ninety nine percent of the time I would probably thank you for editing, but this is the one percent of the time that I am asking for the brutal truth". I said, trying desperately to keep my voice down. He just looked at me for a long moment.

"Bella, if you truly think that I would edit about something like what happened with another woman we have no business getting married." He said bluntly.

Woah. That was brutal. This was not how I wanted this conversation to go. I slowly uncrossed my arms and walked over to him until I was about a foot away.

"Edward, that isn't what I meant. At least I don't think it is. I don't think that you're omitting anything that happened. I know I saw the worst of it, you told me that. I'm talking about her feelings, though. This girl at the party had a good point. Did she give you any indication that she liked you as more than a friend?" I had to word this carefully. I knew Edward was tired and he got every irritable when he was tired. Plus, he was already frustrated with me from earlier.

He pinched the bridge of his nose before he answered. He turned slightly and sank down onto the bed. I sat beside him, leaving very little space between us.

"Bella, I don't know. I don't pay attention to other women. I especially wasn't paying attention because she had told me when we first met that she was engaged. That was the whole reason that I befriended her. I was lonely and was thrilled that I'd found someone to swap engagement stories with, or talk about weddings with, or just hang out with. It wasn't anything more than a friendship. We weren't really even that great of friends. She just kept me company. I'm sorry, I should have seen it coming, and normally I would have, but I had just written her off as engaged." He confessed. I nodded my head, taking a deep breath.

"Okay, that's all I needed." I lied. I was still jealous. Edward rolled his eyes.

"You are a terrible liar, love." He scolded, moving from the bed again. I stayed where I was. Edward knelt in front of me, and put each of his hands on my knee caps. He looked up at me with a seductive grin.

"Lay back," he said softly. I widened my eyes.

"Edward, we are not having sex right now. My mother and step father are across the hall". I scolded. He didn't listen. He pushed my legs apart, wrapping his arms beneath my thighs, his hands on my hips. My legs were practically on his shoulders. There was no way I could wrestle out of this. He removed one hand from my hip to quickly push away the thin material of my g-string. He bent down to kiss my clit. I fell back onto the bed, no longer willing to fight this.

"Who do I love, Bella?" Edward asked softly. I glared at him.

"Me?" I said it like a question. What the hell was he getting at? He just nodded. His tongue darted out of his mouth, circling my clit this time. I moaned softly. His lips surrounded the sensitive skin as he sucked on it before nibbling lightly. I squirmed, trying my best not to make any noise.

"And who am I marrying next week?" he asked softly. His teeth were still on my clit and the vibrations from his voice nearly made me come right there. I felt the moisture seep out from between my legs.

"M-m-ee." I choked.

"Who is the only one I am going to make love to, for the rest of my life?" he questioned, his time, his tongue dragging from my clit to my pussy, darting into me. My back arched off the bed.

"Unngh…" he laughed, and it vibrated against me again, stimulating the already sensitive flesh.

"What was that, love?"

"Me". I said quickly.

"And who am I going to have babies with?" he asked, lapping up the wetness that was dripping out of me.

"Me," I said again. I was squirming now; I needed my release before I exploded. He needed to stop teasing me.

"And who am I going to grow old with?" he asked, his tongue darting in and out of me. I couldn't answer. I was so close. I felt my walls begin to tighten. Edward pulled away.

"Bella, if you want your release you have to answer," he scolded.

"Me." I choked out, again. I had no idea what questions I was answering. Hell, I didn't even care. Edward moved one hand from my hip, ghosting up the inside of my thigh. He slipped into two fingers, then a third one and began pumping me while he sucked on my clit. My back arched off the bed, and as he curled his fingers inside me, my walls clamped down on him and I fell over the edge.

I collapsed back onto the bed, fighting for breath. Edward released my legs, which now felt like jelly. He slipped off my heels, allowing them to fall to the floor. He laid down on the bed next to me and took me into his arms. He kissed me softly on the lips. I could taste myself on him.

"I love you, Bella. Please do not ever forget that. You are the only one I want" he reassured me. I smiled against his lips.

"Thanks for that," I laughed. He chuckled and kissed me again.

"Alright, you've had a long night, lets get you ready for bed." He sat up again, and I whimpered.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I can't move." I laughed. He smiled.

"Alright, I'll help you change," he got off the bed, and I heard him open a dresser drawer. He came back over to the bed and set the clothes beside me. He stepped back between my legs, and his hands went back to my thighs. He slid them up my legs and to my hips. He hooked his thumbs through the small satin strings and pulled it down and off my body, keeping eye contact with me the entire time. He bent down, slipping his hands behind my back. I locked my arms around his neck and he helped me stand. I was growing more and more tired by the second, my eyelids were drooping and I felt like a wet noodle.

Wet noodle? Where the hell did that come from?

Edward helped me stand, and I rested my head against his chest. He smelled wonderful. I felt him unzip my dress. It fell to a pool at my feet, and I stepped out of it. He unhooked my bra and that too fell to the floor. He helped me step into a pair of blue lacy boy shorts and a matching tank top. He carried me bridal style and tucked me into the bed. He kissed me forehead softly.

"_Sleep, my one and only love," _(Stephenie Meyer), he whispered. I was asleep before he even climbed into bed next to me.

----------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up the next morning in Edward's arms. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of black boxer briefs. I cuddled closer into his side and sighed in contentment. I felt him chuckled beside me.

"Feeling okay?" he asked, running his fingers through my hair. I nodded, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. One of his hands dipped beneath the hem of my tank top, drawing indistinct patterns on my hip and lower back.

Okay Bella. It's now or never. You need to talk about Harvard.

"Edward, can we talk?" I asked quietly, tilting my head to look at him. His green eyes were sparkling. Love was the only thing I saw in his eyes. He smiled at me.

"Of course, love."

"Before I start, I need to make a ground rule. I don't know how you are going to react to this, but I need you to let me tell you the entire story before you react, okay?" he nodded.

"Alright, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my mom. And as much as I say that I'll be prepared for her to go, that's a bunch of bullshit and I know it. But it gives me peace that she will be able to be at our wedding. I know that I won't be alone in this. I have Phil, Charlie, and I have your family. But, I am going to take her death hard. I know you know that, but I'm just realizing this. I'm going to feel like an orphan and out of place. But again, I know that I have you, I won't be alone. I've decided to take the fall semester off of school to cope with her death, or spend time with her if, by some miracle, she's still her. As I thought about how to work out my senior year and your medical school, I made a decision. Well, I didn't actually make the decision yet. But I applied to Harvard. And I got in." I said, finishing with a smile. Edward's eyes were wide in shock, but he was smiling in pride.

"What?! Bella…but…Dartmouth…but this is amazing! But love, you only have a year left!" Edward's reaction surprised me. I expected arguing. I at least expected questions. I did not expect excitement.

"Well, I spoke with a transfer counselor and he assured me that I will only be losing one class. I'll still graduate on time. And I need this Edward. I cannot be apart from you after she's gone," the tears began to slip out of my eyes now. "It will be too hard. It's a selfish decision, but I have to do it," I finished.

When I looked back up at him, I was surprised to see unshed tears in his eyes as well. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed my tears away.

"Bella, I love you," he choked. He rested his forehead against mine.

"I'm going to have a difficult time saying my vows next week," he confided. I panicked at first, why would he have trouble with vows? "Love, I say that because next week, I'm going to promise to protect you…and I cannot protect you from the greatest pain you will probably ever know. It's coming, and I see it, and there isn't a damn thing that I can do about it." He said bitterly, the tears falling down his cheeks. I lifted my hand to brush them away.

"Edward, there's a lot you can do about it. You can be here. You can hold me. That's enough for me," I told him honestly.

"We can, and will, get through anything. As long as we have each other," Edward said. I leaned in and kissed him. It was one of the most passionate kisses that we had shared in our relationship.

* * *

**Review Please?? **

**Next Chapter will be the long awaited wedding. **


	32. Today I'm Going to Marry My Best Friend

**Here it is! Please see the author note at the bottom!**

**BPOV**

In three short days, I will be Bella Cullen. It was still surreal to me. But I had to get through the next three hours.

Packing with Alice and Rose, and then going to pick up my wedding dress. I'd found my wedding dress online, and went to the store and tried it on. It was the only dress I even looked at, but it was perfect (A/N: the dress is on my profile). We were standing in my closet with an empty suitcase sitting on the island. Edward was working. Damn him. He didn't have to spend the next hour plotting out sexy lingerie. Rose, Alice and I were going through all the stuff that I got at the lingerie shower. And now Rose was explaining all the…non-lingerie items that I got at the shower. Plus, it was the first time that I got to actually go through it all. We'd been at this for a good half an hour, and my blush was now immune. I think it was the talk Rose and I had in the car. There was nothing to be ashamed of. Rose was flipping through a book on sex positions with Alice. I found a dirty coupon book and laughed at some of them before tossing it in the suitcase. Rose and Alice peaked in and smiled up at me.

"Good girl," Rose said, approvingly.

"Hey Bella, check this out. Fifty two weeks of naughty nights," Alice giggled.

"I don't think they'll need that on their honeymoon. Maybe when they get back". Rose winked at me. She took the cards from Alice and stood, walking over to Edward's part of the closet. She shot me a wicked grin from across the room and tucked the cards into a suit jacket of Edward's.

"Nice," I agreed, laughing, switching to go through my large lingerie collection.

"Alright, I think you should definitely wear red", Rose said, holding up the skimpy, crotchless panty set. I laughed.

"Nope, I'm saving that set for the train ride to Paris," I said quickly, before I could stop myself. Alice's eyes grew wide.

"I'm so proud of you," Rose said, covering her heart, pretending to choke up.

"Yeah, yeah". I said, waving it off. I took the set from her and packed it in the suitcase.

"Well, how about white for the wedding night?" Alice suggested, holding up a white set. "I know it's cliché, but it's classy," she finished, shrugging her shoulders. I nodded.

"Go ahead and pack it. I can always change my mind later". I agreed. She folded it delicately and set it inside the suitcase.

Half an hour later, Edward and I were packed and the girls and I were on our way to try on my dress. I was still behind the curtain, putting it on when I felt the need to warn Alice. The dress was white, strapless, simple and tea length. It was elegant. It was perfect.

"Now Alice. Please remember that I love this dress. It is perfect and is exactly what I wanted, okay?" I pleaded with her to understand. I could almost hear her cross her arms and roll her eyes at me.

"Bella, just come out here," she coaxed. I held the dress up, holding beneathe my breasts and walked out.

"Could you zip me up?" I asked, looking at my bare feet.

Hmm. I need to get a pedicure later today.

When I did finally look up, Rosalie and Alice had tears in their eyes.

"Oh Bella…you look beautiful," Alice whispered, grasping my hand. I smiled.

"Well, then this makes it official. I couldn't commit to the dress until I knew you both approved," I told them. Alice zipped me up and I stood in front of the mirror. I had to have it hemmed before, but it was perfect now. It fit great. I would wear my hair up, with a small veil that came just below my shoulders. They admired me from the mirror.

"So Rose, what do you think?" I asked, locking eyes with her in the mirror.

"It's hard to believe that one certain dress was meant for one certain person…but this dress…it's you, Bella. It's perfect. It's perfect for the wedding, for Edward, and for you."

"Thank you, Rose," I whispered. I refused to cry. No crying today. This was a happy occasion.

I blinked and it was the morning of my wedding. I woke up in Florence, Italy and it was a beautiful day. I was in a big, fluffy white bed. Alone. Damn Alice and her rules. I stretched, letting out an involuntary groan. Just then, the phone beside the bed rang.

"Hello?" I answered my voice thick with sleep.

"Hello, beautiful," Edward responded with a chuckle. My face broke out in an embarrassing smile, I'm sure.

"Good morning," I responded, clearing my throat, sitting up a little in bed.

"I just wanted to call and tell you I love you," he said quietly. "And that I will be waiting at the end of the aisle for you in a few hours."

"I'll be the one in the white dress" I countered with a laugh.

"Alright, well I'm sure Alice will be busting into your room any moment. But I love you, and I will see you soon. Enjoy your last few hours as Bella Swan". He laughed. I smiled at the thought. At the end of today, well, actually at 3pm today, I would no longer be Bella Swan. I would be Bella Cullen.

"You boys behave yourselves," I cautioned. I knew Emmett and Jasper all too well. Quite honestly, I was a little surprised that hadn't called me in the middle of the night to bail them out of jail. Last night, we'd all gone out for one big, joint Bachelor/Bachelorette party. Neither Edward or I were sad to see the passing of our single days, so we felt it was unnecessary to partake in that ritual. We'd had a lovely dinner with our parents, Sue and Charlie included. Then, the parents went to bed and we all went to "party it up", as Emmett said a good three hundred times. We went out for a few drinks, but called it quits by 2am. No one wanted to be sick today.

**Edward's POV**

I hate ties, with a passion.

I was standing in my hotel room, nearly dressed. I had on my pants, white undershirt, and white button-up dress shirt. Currently, I was trying to remember how to tie my tie. Usually, Bella was the one to tie it, but I couldn't very well ask her to come in and help me. We were getting married in thirty minutes.

I was a little surprised at myself. I wasn't nervous for today in the least. I looked back on my womanizer days and barely recognized myself. Bella had changed me for the better. She made me want to be a better man. I wonder how Bella was doing with all this. She had been remarkably calm. I wasn't worried about her handling the wedding; I am fairly sure she is elated to get this over with. She hates being the center of attention. But today, I'm sure, is hard for her.

Yes, Renee is here to see us get married, but she doesn't have long left. I would be forever grateful that Renee had, for the most part, been well here. She was walking alone, with only an arm to steady herself with, usually Phil's. I wanted so badly for this to be a happy day for Bella, but I knew her better than that. She'd smile and pretend, but I knew deep down she was devastated. At the same time, this wedding was perfect for us. It was small and simple; only the people we loved and cared most about were present.

A knock at the door brought me out of my thoughts. I groaned, throwing the tie onto the end table and walked over to get the door. My jaw dropped when I saw who was standing before me.

"Renee? What are you doing here? The ceremony's about to start!" I told her, checking my watch. She smiled and nodded.

"I just wanted to talk to you quickly. Do you have a moment?" she asked, shyly. Bella was so much like her, I had to laugh.

"For my soon to be mother in law, you can have as much time as you need," I told her honestly. I stepped aside, taking her elbow in my hand, leading her over to the couch. She sat slowly, and I could see she was in pain, but she'd never admit it. Not today.

"What can I do for you?" I asked, anxious to know what this was about.

"Edward, I want to talk to you. I know this will be a hard talk, but I need to say it, and I can't talk to Bella. I want her to be happy today, not feeling sad and guilty," she admitted. I nodded.

"Of course," I motioned for her to continue as I leaned further into the couch.

"I need you to promise me that you will take good care of her when I'm gone," she blurted out. "I know you know Bella quite well, but I wanted to talk to you first. Bella is incredibly stubborn. I'm so afraid that after I'm gone, she won't deal with anything and she'll push everyone away. Please don't let her do that to you, Edward. You are the best thing that has ever happened to her. Even if she runs away, please promise me that you'll follow after her," she begged. I reached over to take Renee's hand.

"Renee, I promise. I promise that I will be there for her, and I will devote my life to making sure she is happy." I promised, wholeheartedly. Renee nodded and reached up to wipe away a few stray tears from her eyes.

"My worst fear is that once I'm gone, she will feel like an orphan" Renee confided quietly. I squeezed her hand.

"To be honest, she probably will feel like that," I told her honestly, fighting back my own tears. "But I promise, my family and I will do everything in our power to remind her that she is not alone, not even for a second". She nodded, and reached down to pull a small book out of her purse. She handed it to me.

"I started this the day I decided to not pursue treatment. It's for Bella. You may read it, of course. But don't give it to her until after…" she trailed off, wiping a tear that was sliding down her cheek. "I'm confident that you'll know when to give it to her". She smiled at me, patting my hand. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should go take my seat. I don't want to miss a moment of my only child's wedding," she said, beaming. She wiped at the last of her tears, checking her make up in the mirror beside us. I stood and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, Renee". I know it was lame to thank her, but I was completely speechless. This gift, it would mean so much to Bella. I was instantly nervous though; how would I know when to give it to her? Should I read it? Do I flip through it, so that I'll know what it's about and then I'll know when to give it to her?

I sighed. I'd think about this later. Right now, I had a wedding to get to. Renee kissed my cheek, and left. The girls were getting into the limo right about now, I was sure of it. I hurriedly tied my tie, finally getting it right. I put on the rest of the tuxedo, including my shoes, throwing my jacket over my arm. I held the small, wire bound book in my hands for a moment, trying to decide where to put to so that Bella wouldn't find it. I found my suitcase that was packed for my honeymoon, and tucked it beneath a stack of my shirts. I was hesitant to part with it, I was so afraid something would happen to it.

The men arrived at the church about 15 minutes after the girls did. Charlie was pacing outside as I was walking in. He smiled over at me.

"Why don't you look more nervous?" he jokingly accused.

"Because I'm marrying the love of my life. I've never been so sure about anything before," I said honestly, following my father into the church. I took a deep breath, admiring the church. The chapel was small; there were only about ten rows of pews on each side. I stood at the end of the aisle, my hands clasped in front of me. Carlisle was beside me, followed by Jasper and Emmett. Esme was sitting with Renee and Sue in the front pew, on my side. I figured it was because they could see Bella better at this angle. All three of them were crying softly into lace handkerchiefs. I could see Alice and Rosalie pacing back and forth behind the closed stained glass doors at the other end of the aisle. The doors that were the only thing separating Bella and I right now. The priest entered the room, standing just behind me, and motioned for the piano player to begin the music. Alice emerged first, walking agonizingly slow. She must have noticed my impatience because she smiled and rolled her eyes at me. Just as she reached the front, she stood on the other side. Rose began walking down the aisle then, and I was thankful that she was walking slightly faster than Alice had been. She winked at me when she got to the front, and I smiled to her in gratitude. Suddenly, the music I'd been waiting so long to hear finally filled the chapel and the doors opened wide to reveal Charlie and Bella. I gasped when I saw her. She looked angelically beautiful. She couldn't have been human. I felt like I needed to pinch myself; make sure this is actually happen. Bella and Charlie were walking towards me, and I felt as if she were moving in slow motion. Her hair was curled loosely. There was a tiara-like headband on her head, but no veil. Her dress was simple. It looked like the designer made it just for her. Her arm was linked in Charlie's, and Charlie was holding her hand tightly. I could bet he was holding back tears, but I didn't want to break my gaze from Bella.

After what felt like hours, Bella reached me at the end of the aisle. Charlie placed Bella's hand in mine and then went to sit with the women in the front pew. We turned toward the priest, who began speaking his broken English in a thick Italian accent. It was perfect.

**Bella's POV**

I was in awe. I was finally about to become Bella Cullen. My eyes were locked on Edward's striking eyes as I began to repeat my vows after the priest.

"I, Isabella Swan, take you, Edward Cullen, to be my husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live". I finished, giving a sigh of relief. I had choked up, but I wasn't full blown crying. Yet. As Edward began to say his identical vows, I saw the tears appear in the corner of his eyes. I squeezed his hands tighter and smiled brightly.

"I, Edward Cullen, take you, Isabella Swan, to be my wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live". He finished, beaming.

The priest asked for the rings, and Rose and Emmett stepped forward simultaneously. Rose handed me Edward's band, and Emmett handed Edward my band. I was thankful that Esme had reminded me to put my engagement ring on my right hand for the ceremony. The moment Edward slipped the band onto my left finger, where it would stay for the rest of my life, I felt the tears begin to slip down my cheeks. Edward was able to keep his composure when I slipped on his wedding band, though. But he was smiling wider than I'd ever seen him smile.

And then I heard the words that I'd been aching to hear since I fell in love with Edward.

"And I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride". The priest smiled at us. Edward pulled me tightly into his arms and kissed me with a passion I'd never experienced. I was a little lightheaded. I could hear our family giggling at us, but I didn't care, because I was married to the most amazing man in the world.

I was married…

As we broke reluctantly apart, our family broke into applause, but I couldn't bare to look away from my new husband as he lead me down the short aisle and outside the chapel. As soon as we were out of the doors, I jumped into my husbands arms. I knew we were alone, they'd assured me we would be. I pressed my forehead to his.

"We're married", I breathed. He just nodded.

"Yes, my dear, we are". Something about his word choice of "my dear" made me break into a fit of laughter. He chuckled and set me on my feet.

"Did you mean those vows?" I asked, slyly. He looked at me in confusion.

"Bella, don't start with the doubting yourself already. I meant every word." He said confidently. I pulled myself closer to him and kissed just above his upper lip.

"Why do you ask, love?" he asked softly. I moved my lips down a millimeter to kiss him.

"Because I'm pregnant". I mumbled against his lips.

_**A/N: Well, there you have it, the long awaited wedding. Was it worth the two story wait? Please let me know what you thought. This was obviously a difficult chapter to re-write, hence the long wait. But I may come back and re-write it soon. Now...question. This is officially the last chapter of the story, but if you'd like, I could add a honeymoon chapter and then start on a sequel. Let me know what you think! Thanks for your patience with this story! :)**_


	33. The Reaction

_**Author Note: Alright, one more chapter (after this) and we're done with this story. Also, if you want to see the reception site, it's all on my profile. :) Disclaimer, I don't own Twilight. **_

**Edward's POV**

I'd heard her wrong. She hadn't said what I thought she did.

Right?

I must have been mistaken.

Today had already been too perfect. My Bella, formerly Isabella Swan, was now Isabella Cullen. Forever.

I shook my head, trying to get a handle on the situation. Right. Bella had just told me she was…pregnant. Bella squeezed my arms, her smile faltering. It broke my heart.

"Edward? Are you okay?" she asked timidly. Concerned. Cautious. I shook my head furiously.

"Could you repeat that?" I whispered with a shaky voice. I was grinning like a fool and I knew it. I didn't care. Bella was smiling brilliantly. She pulled herself tighter against my body.

"I'm. Pregnant" she repeat, slowly against my lips. I laughed, swooping her up into my arms and spinning her around. I pulled her tightly against my chest and kissed her, trying to convey all the emotion that I was feeling at that moment. Bella smiled against my lips and ran her fingers through my hair. She pulled away from the kiss to look into my eyes. I set her feet back on the ground. I cupped her face in my hands, kissing her face gently.

Suddenly, she seemed one thousand times more fragile than before. One wrong flick of my finger and I could shatter her.

"This is the happiest day of my life, Mrs. Cullen. It couldn't get anymore perfect. I love you," I told her sincerely, pulling her back into a kiss.

"When did you find out?" I asked, surprised that she'd been able to keep this from me. I was a doctor for crying out loud. She smiled.

"Only a few days ago. It was the night that I found out about Renee," she explained sadly. I nodded in understanding. The night that we'd made love after all that. Aside from the horrific conditions that brought about the lovemaking, it was loving and passionate. The night we conceived a baby. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Bella cuddled into my chest.

"Edward, this is your call. No one knows, no one even suspects. We could tell them now, or we can wait a little bit. Although, I do ask that we tell Renee as soon as possible, for obvious reasons," she whispered, not trusting her voice. I nodded, resting my chin on the top of her head.

"Why don't we wait a bit, love? Just until we get back from the honeymoon and we can get you in to see a doctor." I suggested.

The father (yikes, father!) in me wanted to shout it from the rooftops. The doctor in me wanted to wait until she was in her second trimester. I didn't want to think about the devastation of a miscarriage, but it was a real risk, especially with the amount of stress she was under, but I could try to control that.

Keeping true to themselves, our family burst through the doors of the chapel, enveloping Bella and I in hugs and kisses. We ate dinner with our family, who was remarkably quiet for my family. I'd confronted my father about it and he insisted they were all jetlagged and tired for the trip. They were leaving back for the states tomorrow, and Bella and I were off to a short honeymoon before meeting them back in New York.

As we ate dinner, I couldn't take my eyes off my wife.

My wife. I sighed in contentment. I felt complete. I had a wife and a baby on the way, and a wonderful, supportive family.

Bella was positively glowing, and she was beautiful. She was beyond beautiful. I couldn't wait to get her back to our hotel room.

**Bella's POV**

As we ate dinner with our family, I couldn't take my eyes off my husband. I beamed internally at that word. Luckily, Edward was smart and quietly asked the waiter to exchange my champagne toast for sparkling cider. No one was the wiser. Emmett tapped his knife against his glass, raising it in the air.

"I would like to make a toast to the happy couple," he beamed. I looked at Edward, unsure if I should be scared or not. Something in Edward's eyes told me he'd threatened him within an inch of his life about this toast. Edward and I, along with the rest of the table, turned to listen to his toast.

"Edward, take Bella's hand and place your hand over hers." Emmett instructed. Edward followed his brother's instructions, never breaking eye contact with me.

"Now," Emmett continued, "remember and cherish this moment, little brother, because it will be the last time you will ever have the upper hand!" Emmett finished, laughing, the rest of us broke into collective laughter, and Edward put an arm around me, pulling me to his chest. Emmett raised his glass again.

"All kidding aside, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward," I smiled, willing the tears away as we all clinked glasses.

"Thank you Emmett," I mouthed. I didn't mean to, but nothing came out when I tried to speak. He came around the table to kiss my cheek. I took a deep breath as I hugged him tightly, trying to reign in my emotions. If I cried too much, someone was bound to notice and call me out on my emotions. I never cried like this. Granted it was my wedding day, but still.

Dinner continued, lightheartedly, telling stories about the past, making guesses about the future for Edward and I, but we both got very uncomfortable when the conversation turned to children.

"I think Bella and Edward will have a girl first, but then will have a bunch of boys," my mother guessed, laughing. I know this sounds corny, but do you know those moments when your heart takes a picture? Little things that you know no matter how old and senile you get, you'll never forget that moment? My heart took one then, one of Renee's hands steadying herself, using Phil's shoulder, the other covering her mouth as he laughed. The only emotion on her face was pure joy. My father and Phil on the other hand were horrified at this conversation.

"I think that would suit them," Esme smiled, agreeing with my mother. Carlisle, who was sitting on the other side of Edward, clapped Edward on the back.

"You up for the task, sailor?" Carlisle asked, smirking. Edward had been taking a sip of champagne at that moment, and just about snorted the drink through his nose. The whole rest of the table, myself included, broke out into side splitting laughter. Joyous laughter, tears streaking down our faces. I held my face in my hands, trying to cover up my laughter, as my new husband looked horrified. I'm sure he was worried that they'd all found out. I knew they hadn't though, I'd been incredibly careful about the pregnancy test. I took it at the mall, and threw the test away there. I had been alone. As I was trying to control my laughter, I let out a loud snort, sending all of us into round two of our laughing fit. The rest of the restaurant looked at us like we were insane.

"Can we talk about something else?" Edward asked, breaking out in a cold sweat. I smiled, controlling my laughter to the best of his ability. I rubbed his back, and leaned in to kiss him softly on the cheek, and leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

"Ready to start our honeymoon?" I purred, as seductively as I could.

**Alice's POV**

We said our goodbyes quickly to the happy, horny couple as they got into a car to get back to their hotel. The rest of us wanted to enjoy our dinner and drink a little more before heading back to the states. The rest of my family was in a deep debate about God knows what. I turned to Rose, who was next to me. I held out my glass to clink against hers. She leaned back in her seat a little, leaning close to me.

"She's pregnant, right?" she asked with a smirk. I smiled and nodded.

"Oh yeah," I nodded, and we clinked our glasses.


	34. SEQUEL ANNOUNCEMENT

THE SEQUEL TO JUST THE BEGINNING HAS BEEN POSTED.

IT'S CALLED "THE SPACE BETWEEN". :)

Check it out, and let me know what you all think. Once it's finished, I will post a three-part epilouge on here, just in case you don't want to read the sequel.

Thanks for all your support,

SweetMandyB


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